A total of 1705 sexual assault cases have been referred to Medical Services Pacific by the Fiji Police Force Sexual Offence Unit from 2012 to 2023.
MSP country director Ashna Shaleen said access to the clinics had increased, adding they had a memorandum of agreement with police, particularly on referral for sexual crime-related cases.
“Before COVID-19, in 2018, we had 206 cases referred to us by the Fiji Police Force Sexual Offence Unit but post COVID-19 from 2019, 2020 and onward there has been a general spike,” she said. She said they were concerned with the current trend with 43 cases so far this year.
“We’re in the third month and not even the first quarter and the number is already at 43 which is quite high.
“We normally see that on the fifth or sixth month.”
Ms Shaleen said out of the 43, majority were children under the age of 18.
“We like to call it a 24/7 service and that’s exactly what my medical team is telling me, that they are getting calls over the weekend and late in the night to attend to fresh cases of rape.
“It’s a concern for Fiji and us as service providers, and my partner civil society organisations (CSOs) that are out there, because it’s putting a lot of pressure on our services too because we’ve got to ensure that the doctors and counselling and psycho-social support are present. MSP also tracks cases in the legal framework on whether services are survivor friendly and centred.
