Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 16-year-old boy of Jittu Estate in Samabula. The boy was pronounced dead at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital yesterday morning.

Police Spokesperson Ana Naisoro said initial information gathered, subjected to pending investigation, determined that the victim was drinking with a group of youths in Raiwaqa.

He was playing around when someone tackled him to the ground. Ms Naisoro said the others sought help when they noticed the victim motionless.

“At this point investigators are gathering more statements while awaiting post mortem examination results as investigations continue,” she said.

When approached yesterday, the parents of the young man declined to comment about the incident as investigations by police continue.

Social Services

The Fiji Council of Social Services executive director, Vani Catanasiga, said the alleged death of the 16-old-boy yesterday demonstrated the easy access of alcohol for youths under 18 years old.

Ms Catanasiga said this was despite the fact that the law prohibits the sale of liquor to those under 18.

Her comment comes after the alleged incident was reported by Police yesterday. Ms Catanasiga said this showed how communities have been desensitized to the harms that alcohol use has on children and youth.

She said it also depicted the lack of monitoring and awareness by relevant agencies.

“We would like to first express our sympathies to the family of the 16-year-old boy that lost his life in this incident,” she said.

“Parents are coming under increased pressure in Fijian communities, particularly as we recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and disasters.

“They will need all the help they can get to ensure continuity in education, food security and safety of their children.”

“Strengthening community support, positive peer pressure and access to better livelihood opportunities would help in overcoming some of the challenges parents are facing currently,” Ms Catanasiga said.

Fiji Police Force

Commissioner of Police Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho, in an earlier press conference had said that not every issue could be addressed by Police. Brigadier-General Qiliho said they were not shying away from it but that everyone needed to work together.

He said issues cannot only be addressed by the Fiji Police Force alone.

“We need to ask the other stakeholders in the life of that child what they are doing. Were they supervised along the way and did they have the right family setup to be able to assist them,” he said.

Story by: Nacanieli Tuilevuka

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