There is a growing demand for stricter penalties in the proposed Child Care and Protection Bill.

The Bill introduces three new offences which are possession of child pornographic material, sexual communication with a child, and luring a child.

Advocates argue that current penalties for the three new offences in the Bill are insufficient and do not adequately reflect the severity of these crimes. Standing Committee on Justice, Law, and Human Rights chairperson Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure said they were calling for harsher consequences to better protect children and deter potential offenders.

“We’ve got some penalties not more than two years, some only less than five years,” he said.

He said there were suggestions for perpetrators to be placed behind bars for more than ten years.

“People are just asking for the penalties to go up to at least 10 years, given that this is the way forward for protecting our children, and caring for them.”

In the case of chid pornographic material, he said a person committing an indictable offence of viewing, possessing, downloading material would be imprisonment not more than five years.

“While for sexual communication with a child, it will be a serious offence if a person communicating with a child under 16 years is viewed sexual. The person will spend two years in jail. As for luring a child, it’s a serious offence, if a person provides a child with any object with the intention to procure the child for sexual activity with himself or herself or any other person.”

In response, a former nurse Mereseini Nainima said harsher penalties would deter people from committing such offences.

“If we are being lenient, then people will continue to commit these offences.”

Ms Nainima said if Government was serious in addressing these issues, then more harsher penalties should be placed.