COMMERCIAL sexual exploitation of children by family members, taxidrivers, foreign tourists, businessmen and crew members on foreign fishing vessels has continued in Fiji, states the United States Department of State 2020 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Fiji.

The report states it is an offence for any person to buy or hire a child younger than the age of 18 for sex, exploitation in prostitution or other unlawful purpose.

“Some high school-age children and homeless and jobless youth were subjected to sex trafficking and there were reports of child sex tourism in tourist centres, such as Nadi and Savusavu.

The report states the minimum age for consensual sex in Fiji is 16.

“The Court of Appeal has ruled that 10 years is the minimum appropriate sentence for child rape but police often charged defendants with ‘defilement’ rather than rape because defilement was easier to prove in court.

Defilement or unlawful carnal knowledge of a child younger than the age of 13 has a maximum penalty of life imprisonment; the maximum penalty for the defilement of a child aged 13 to 15, or of a person with intellectual disabilities, is 10 years imprisonment.”

Questions sent to the Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and to the Acting A-G Faiyaz Koya remain unanswered.