FIJI is facing a heartbreaking crisis behind closed doors as our cherished elders are increasingly forgotten, exploited, and abandoned by their own flesh and blood.
Speaking at a World in Art and Climate Action (WACA) roundtable discussion in Lautoka yesterday, administrator Paulini Saurogo laid bare the deeply concerning realities confronting the nation’s senior citizens.
The event coincided with the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, marking the prophet Isaiah’s poignant words: “I will never forget you.”
She said the theme reminded people that God’s love for every person never fails – even in the fragility of old age.
Yet, current data reveals a painful departure from traditional Fijian values of communal care.
While general crimes against citizens over 60 dropped 13.6 per cent from 1945 cases in 2024 to 1680 in 2025, sinister threats are on the rise.
Financial exploitation has skyrocketed by a staggering 86 per cent, with fraud cases jumping from 29 cases in 2024 to 54 cases last year.
“We have also recorded 159 cases of assault causing actual bodily harm against older persons, along with incidents involving criminal intimidation, trespass, online-related offences, and money laundering targeting elderly victims.
“The Western Division, where we are gathered today, has recorded the highest number of elderly victims, while the Northern Division has seen an overall increase in cases.”
Beyond the cold statistics lies a hidden, psychological torment.
Shockingly, two-thirds of all reported abusers are the victims’ own adult children.
Furthermore, a growing number of families are opting to place their parents and grandparents into aged care facilities rather than looking after them at home.
Ms Saurogo urged the public to confront this hidden suffering, stressing that senior citizens are a precious blessing entitled to live with dignity, safety, and respect, rather than being cast aside as a burden.
