Cooks Police Breaks Its Silence

Police in the Cook Islands have broken their silence on claims by a young Fijian woman that she was sexually abused and kept as a “sex slave” there for six years.

The woman, 20, fled to Fiji and is being looked after by human rights lawyer Sabrina Iqbal Khan.

She claimed that Police had done nothing about her complaint that she was being sexually abused.

Cook Islands Police media officer Trevor Pitt said yesterday that he was only aware of a complaint of harassment that was lodged on March 11.

“I will be consulting the officer-in- charge tomorrow morning (Cook Islands time) when she is on duty. I should be able to provide further information then,” he said.

“All reported incidents of abuse andas- saults of a sexual nature are taken seriously and investigated as fully as possible.

“Domestic violence cases generally are subject to a ‘no-drop’ policy and are pursued all the way to the court.”

Ms Khan, however, said the woman claimed Police buried the case after she complained.

“She has kept a diary of things that have happened to her,” said Ms Khan.

The woman arrived in Fiji on March 20 after being assisted in a joint operation involving people in Fiji, Cook Islands, New Zealand, Australia and the Middle East.

She claimed she was sexually abused by a male family member for six years.

ALLEGED ABUSE

She claimed the alleged sexual abuse started when she was 14 years old and her mother knew about everything that was happening but did not do anything.

Her mother told the Fiji Sun from the Cook Islands that the allegations made by her daughter were false.

Ms Khan said yesterday that she would make sure the person was extradited to Fiji to face trial.

She said the Fiji Police Force Criminal Investigations Department was well aware of the case but she was yet to lodge an official report.

“I was supposed to lodge the report today (yesterday), but I was busy in court. But I’ll lodge the report tomorrow (today),” she said.

Ms Khan has known the woman since she was 18 years old. They met on Instagram and Facebook and share an interest in the law.

The woman was reported missing by her family in Cook Islands.

Edited by Epineri Vula

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