The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence yesterday heard that there is only one qualified psychologist looking after counselling services for the Fiji Police Force.

Committee member and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Lenora Qereqeretabua asked police representatives on what sort of mental health counselling were offered to police personnel in their line of work.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Planning, Research and Doctrines (ACP) Aporosa Lutunauga said the force had one psychologist who provided these services.

“There is only one and one support staff,” ACP Lutunauga said.

“He is the one moving around the country addressing those issues that have been raised.”

He said part of their reform and restructure was beefing up this particular unit with the manpower required to offer these services to the force.

“They have been allocated a building and this is part of reform and restructure programme to get the manpower needed for this job,” he said.

Timeframe for unsolved cases 

When asked by the committee chair Viliame Naupoto on the period an unsolved case remained open, director planning of the Fiji Police Force Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mesake Waqa said there was no time limitation.

“It depends solely on supervisors when they see that all avenues of investigations are done and there is no further lead for investigations, they normally instruct for the file to be closed, or if there are insufficient evidences,” SSP Waqa said.

“There are no time limitations, but files can be reopened when new evidence is presented.”

For missing people, cases remain open for seven years by law after which the missing person would be presumed dead.

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