THE Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) believes the Fiji 2023 Human Rights Report is on the right track about the realities of trafficking in persons.
Responding to the report, FCOSS executive director Vani Catanasiga said it was interesting to note that the report confirmed what NGOs had said for years.
“Most importantly it confirms that the inconsistencies of application of laws is causing more harm to the vulnerable such as children and wards of the State,” Ms Catanasiga said.
“That government services for social protection are overwhelmed and that trafficking of children is commonplace.
“The question now is, does the Government fully appreciate the challenges we face as a country with regards to the protection of the most vulnerable in light of the findings of this report?”
The report, released by the United States Department of State stated that 32 child sexual abuse cases were reported to the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre through August.
It said that in some rural areas, girls often married before 18, and this prevented them from completing their secondary school education.
The report also outlined instances of child sex trafficking as traffickers exploited some high school-age children and homeless and jobless youth in sex trafficking, with reports of child sex tourism in tourist centres such as Nadi and Savusavu.
In addition, the report stated that child sex trafficking was perpetrated by family members, taxidrivers, foreign tourists, businessmen, and crew members on foreign fishing vessels.
