IT cost the Fiji Police Force an estimated $9.98million to attend to violence against children (VAC) cases in 2023.
A study of the economic impact of violence against children by UNICEF and the Ministry of Women and Children revealed the huge bill accumulated by the police when attending to cases of child abuse.
“According to records maintained by the Fiji Police Force, approximately 6.57 percent of all crimes, or 1101 cases, registered with the police are crimes committed against children,” the report stated.
“Applying this proportion to the total operating expenditure of the Fiji Police Force of $152m, provides a final direct cost to the Fiji Police Force of $9.98m.”
In addition, the study revealed the estimated cost of putting a child through the criminal court system was about $3m.
“Assuming that an equal proportion of various incidents of crime result in court cases and ultimate prosecution, the proportion of crimes committed against children is, similarly, applied to the operating expenditures of the Fijian State Judiciary in order to estimate the direct costs of VAC-related prosecutions.
“These direct costs of VAC-related prosecution – specifically the costs which accrue to the judiciary of prosecuting crimes committed against children. This total cost of VAC-related prosecution amounts to $2.93m.”
The study accounted for costs incurred by other government agencies including the health sector, the child welfare and education sectors.
“In the child welfare sector, there are costs involved in the delivery of institutional and field services in response to VAC while in the education sector, exposure to VAC can result in increased rates of grade repetition or increased pressure in the special education sector, resulting in the accrual of additional costs.”
