The revelation that Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has expressed concern about the rise in crimes against women and children in the North is worrying.
His assessment is to the point! Sexual offences are driving the surge in numbers.
Even more troubling is the fact that the North is the only division that recorded an increase in crimes against these vulnerable groups, and most of the cases involve sexual offences happening in settlements.
“There seems to be a prevalence of this here. In the last few years, we have seen that these offences mostly happen in settlements,” he said. The Commissioner went further, highlighting that some of the most disturbing incidents take place inside family homes.
“These are emotional offences and go right back to the social fabric of our society. Some incidents are committed at home. So I’m calling for parental guidance; we need to strengthen how we look after our children, especially with offences committed in the home,” he emphasised.
While sexual offences have increased, Commissioner Tudravu noted that serious crimes overall have decreased.
“I’m happy we also have a drop in serious crime. That was intentional. We wanted that drop,” he said. The Fiji Police Force, he assured, will continue to prioritise the protection of vulnerable groups and work towards safer communities in the Northern Division.
What is being raised here is no small matter. These revelations should attract national attention. Although the figures relate specifically to the North, the implications stretch beyond divisional boundaries. They should prompt serious reflection across the Central, Southern, Western and Eastern divisions as well. Crime trends do not exist in isolation, and societal vulnerabilities often mirror one another across regions. What happens in one division can easily surface in another if left unaddressed.
What should concern us all is not only the frequency of these offences, but the environments in which they occur. Settlements and homes, spaces defined by familiarity, closeness and community, are emerging as the main settings for abuse.
That reality is unsettling. It suggests that many offenders are not strangers lurking in the shadows, but people who share the victims’ homes, neighbourhoods, or social circles. It means the threat is close, immediate and often shielded by silence. This demands that we confront uncomfortable truths about the erosion of our social fabric. It means parents, guardians, relatives and neighbours need to be vigilant, compassionate and actively engaged in the wellbeing of children. It calls for stronger community networks, where intervention is not seen as interference but as responsibility.
And it should compel us to reinforce education around respect, healthy relationships, bodily autonomy and the rights of people to feel safe, and to be safe.
Addressing these issues is not just a policing matter.
We say it is a collective task requiring schools, religious organisations, civil society, community leaders and families to work together. Police can respond to crime, but communities must prevent it. Laws can punish offenders, but society must change the conditions that enable offending in the first place.
We can no longer look away from statistics that speak so of harm. The numbers from the North serve as a warning and an opportunity. It is a warning of what is happening now, and an opportunity to prevent what could happen next. In the end, the true measure of our society lies not in how loudly we condemn such crimes, but in how decisively we act to stop them. We must confront these realities together!
