Cases of suicide, child abuse rise

THE Social Welfare Department is receiving an increasing number of cases involving children in relation to suicidal incidents and physical and drug abuse.

Social Welfare officer Sebastitiano Nauluiaki said this in a press statement issued by the United Nations Development Programme after their recent Rights Empowerment and Cohesion for Rural and Urban Fijians (REACH) program in Nadroga.

He said the cases often included suicidal incidents, physical abuse by parents, and drug abuse by children.

According to the UNDP Empower Pacific, one of the civil society organisations (CSOs) that participated in the REACH program, provided psychosocial counselling and awareness sessions in partnership with government agencies during the outreach in Batiri Village, Mulomulo.

While delivering their services as part of the program, Empower Pacific and the Department of Social Welfare received an urgent request to attend to a 12-year-old girl.

The child was referred to the Social Welfare Department after she refused to listen to her parents and stopped going to school.

An initial counselling session was immediately provided to her and followup support was scheduled.

“The department, working with counsellors, has been discussing with the girl’s parents to identify workable solutions prioritising the best interest of the child,” Mr Nauluiaki said.

The department, and counsellors, has been discussing with the girl’s parents to identify workable solutions

Sebastitiano Nauluiaki

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