‘National shame’: Save the Children condemns six-year delay in child abuse case

Save the Children Fiji has condemned what it describes as a “national shame” after a child survivor of an alleged attempted rape reportedly waited six years for justice before walking away from the case.

The organisation said the child was six years old when the alleged offence occurred and is now 13.

In a statement, Save the Children Fiji said the prolonged delay exposed serious failures within the justice and child protection systems.

“This is not justice. This is institutional failure,” the organisation said.

Save the Children Fiji said no child survivor should be forced to carry trauma for years while court proceedings are delayed.

“Every adjournment, every postponement, and every administrative delay sends a cruel message to child victims — that their pain is not urgent, their safety is not a priority, and their voices can wait.”

The organisation criticised what it described as unacceptable backlogs and systemic inaction within the judiciary and agencies responsible for child protection and access to justice.

“The failure to resolve a serious sexual offence case involving a child for six years is disgraceful and indefensible.”

Save the Children Fiji called for urgent action from the Judiciary, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Fiji Police Force and the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection.

It warned that survivors were being retraumatised by delays within the very systems meant to protect them.

“The State has a duty to protect children — not exhaust them into silence.”

Chief executive officer Shairana Ali said the case highlighted the urgent need for reform.

“This case is a national shame. A child waited six years for justice and ultimately gave up because the system failed to act with urgency, compassion, and accountability. Justice delayed for a child survivor is justice denied,” Ms Ali said.

“We cannot continue to speak about child protection while our institutions allow children to suffer in silence and trauma for years. The judiciary and responsible ministries must stop treating these cases as routine files and start treating them as emergencies involving the lives and futures of vulnerable children.”

Ms Ali said Fiji urgently needed fast-tracked child protection courts, stronger survivor support services, mandatory timelines for sexual offence cases involving children and greater accountability across institutions handling child abuse matters.

Save the Children Fiji also called on Government to urgently review all pending child sexual offence cases before the courts and publicly outline measures to prevent similar delays.

“No child in Fiji should ever be forced to abandon their pursuit of justice because the system moved too slowly to protect them.”