One-day-old baby youngest victim of child abuse, Minister reveals

Fifty-four per cent of child abuse victims in Fiji are under the age of 12 — with the youngest being just one day old.

This was revealed by the Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran.

She said last year the ministry recorded 1977 reported cases of child abuse.

She said 62 per cent of the reported cases were of neglect, sexual and physical abuse with majority of the incidents reported been from the Northern Division which was 543 cases.

This is followed by Lautoka, Nadi and Sigatoka with 357 cases. Areas such as Suva, Navua, Kadavu, Levuka and Cunningham Stages 3 and 4 in Nasinu recorded 356 cases.

"The sad fact to note is that 54 per cent of the child victims were below the age of 12 with the youngest victim was just a-day-old," Ms Kiran said.

She said the numbers made it clear that children were in danger from drugs, violence and abuse.

"We are failing our children and we need to collectively rise to take action," she added.

While speaking as the chief guest at the Pinto-Digicel Duavata Northern Crime Prevention Carnival closing ceremony at Subrail Park in Labasa last Saturday night, Ms Kiran challenged the Northern Division to work towards decreasing the number of child abuse cases.

She stressed that education awareness was the starting point.

"Parents and grandparents, we call on you to please take out 20 minutes each morning and afternoon to look at your children in their eyes and check how they are doing," she said.

"You will know if something is wrong, if there are signs of any substance abuse and you can assist them early."

She revealed that one of the big challenges was parental neglect and family breakdown.

However, she said with commitment, parents could turn this around with open communication, care and strengthening family networks.

She told the issue she was particularly concerned about, was how drug abuse connected with issues like child neglect, domestic violence, poverty and mental health.

"These are real and growing challenges and we must face them together as a united community, families and nation," she said.

She said data from the Substance Abuse Advisory Council revealed that drug abuse cases involving school children reached 8903 in the past three years.

"This troubling trend gives rise in pre-mature school dropouts resulting in education of our future generation becoming a casualty of addiction and breaking cycles of hope."

She has called on schools and community leaders to build drug prevention and student support

systems.