Chiefs condemn custom shielding rapists

The Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) has drawn a hard line against the use of traditional reconciliation in cases of sexual violence. 

It has declared that custom must never be used as a shield for rapists. Many of these cases are allegedly linked to abuse within homes by family members or trusted community figures.

Fiji’s teenage pregnancy crisis has reached alarming levels, with nearly 500 underage girls falling pregnant in just five months this year.

GCC chairperson Ratu Viliame Seruvakula, condemned the practice of resolving crimes such as rape with kava ceremonies and village traditional protocols, warning that it strips survivors of dignity and denies justice.

“When crimes like rape happen, they cannot be solved by just following traditional protocols in the village and sharing kava,” he said. 

“You are taking away a girl’s dignity, something that cannot be replaced. No one is above the law, and perpetrators must face justice first before reconciliation can ever be considered.”

He emphasised that while traditional reconciliation has a valued place in Fijian life for healing and restoring harmony, serious crimes like rape or incest must first be addressed through the State justice system. Mr Seruvakula added that community leaders and members should be aware of the dangers of using traditional protocols to handle serious crimes, as it sets a dangerous precedent. 

Trapped

Health experts warn that the teenage pregnancy trend is pulling girls out of classrooms and trapping them in poverty before they even reach adulthood. 

Some of the underage mothers are as young as 12 and 13, robbed of the chance to study while being forced into motherhood.

Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa, told Parliament yesterday that pregnancies in girls under 15 are rarely about choice.

“Too often they are about rape, incest, and abuse,” Mr Ravunawa said. 

“The perpetrators are not strangers; they are family members, teachers, priests, even neighbours. These girls are not just number; they are victims of crime.”

Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran, stressed the lifelong consequences for victims.

“Our young vulnerable girls are often victims of predators in their own homes. While perpetrators must face the full brunt of the law, a child’s future is destroyed—forced to take care of another child when she should be schooling and growing,” she said.

Ms Kiran also highlighted that the Child Protection Act 2024 now makes it mandatory for teachers, medical officers, and community leaders to report suspected abuse. Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre Coordinator Shamima Ali warned that silence and custom too often allow predators to escape punishment.

Taskforce

“Families must break the conspiracy of silence and report abusers, even if they are ‘big men’ in the community,” Ms Ali said.

“Too often, abuse is covered up with traditional reconciliation, allowing predators to repeat their crimes,” she said, calling for open conversations on reproductive health, abortion services, and removing stigma around teenage pregnancies.

Minister for Health and Medical Services Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu said the Government had launched a National Teenage Pregnancy Response Taskforce to address the crisis.

“All teenage pregnancies are treated as high-risk cases. Our health teams ensure young mothers are not alone during pregnancy and delivery, while counselling and welfare support are provided to help them through what can be a traumatic experience,” he said.

With cases climbing and cultural silence still shielding offenders, leaders agree that unless Fiji confronts abuse with honesty and justice, the crisis will continue to rob children of their futures. Mr Ravunawa warned: “Today’s adolescent pregnancies are tomorrow’s poverty, inequality, and instability. We cannot afford to stay silent any longer.” 

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