Police are investigating alleged parental negligence following the deaths of two children in less than a week.

A statement from Police said they are increasingly concerned with the reports of children becoming victims of tragic deaths and also victims of crime.

A 2-year-old boy of Lomanikaya Village, Vatulele is a victim of drowning after he was found floating in the sea on Sunday afternoon.

The victim had allegedly left his home unaccompanied and he was discovered later floating 15 meters away from his home.

Yesterday the father of a four-year-old boy discovered his son’s body floating near the shore at Naceva village in Beqa.

Chief of Intelligence and Investigations ACP Biu Matavou said the victim had gone with another relative to clean their boat when it is alleged he was told to return home. He was found sometime later floating near the shore and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.

ACP Matavou said investigators into the attempted rape of an 8-year-old girl in Savusavu in November last year will be questioning the child’s parents for negligence as to why she was allowed to walk to the shop by herself.

“We have always stressed the need to prioritize the safety of children and that the last resort was to add onto the suffering endured by a parent or guardian by laying charges of negligence in the event a child loses their life or becomes a victim of crime,” ACP Matavou said.