Victims of crimes getting younger, Police say
Statistics has revealed that children between the age of 13 to 17 are more prone to be victims of sexual offences.
In his presentation to the Southern and Eastern Division national crime board symposium, Director Strategic Planning SSP Aporosa Lutunauga said crime victims in Fiji were getting younger. The symposium was held at the Fiji Police Academy in Nasova.
From January to May this year, the Southern Division reported 39 cases of sexual offences against children compared to 28 cases last year and the Eastern Division reported 13 cases compared to 12 cases last year. Mr Lutunauga also highlighted that women were more vulnerable to be victims of physical or sexual crimes.
According to statistics from January to May, 2018, there were 272 reported cases on crime against women in the Southern Division, compared to 239 during the same period last year.
The Eastern Division recorded 84 cases this year compared to 70 last year. For children, he said girls were more prone to be victims of sexual crimes including rape, defilement and abduction while boys were more likely to be victims of physical assault crimes.
He said they would need to work smarter and focus their attention on developing targeted approaches to address the issues.
From January to May this year, the Southern Division reported 39 cases of sexual offences against children compared to 28 cases last year and the Eastern Division reported 13 cases compared to 12 cases last year.