Opposition MP Rinesh Sharma has called for stronger legal protections for parents after sharing the case of an elderly woman who he says was allegedly forced out of her home by her own son.
Speaking in Parliament, Sharma said the 75-year-old woman contacted him last Saturday while he was travelling to a meeting.
He said the woman was crying during the phone call and told him she had been asked by her son to sign documents related to the renovation of their home.
According to Sharma, after the renovation was completed, the son allegedly removed her from the house.
“She said to me that her son got her to sign some documents for the renovation of the house, and when the house was renovated, her son kicked her out of the house,” Sharma told Parliament.
The MP said the woman told him she was sitting at the Lautoka Bus Stand at the time of the call while he was in Suva.
Sharma said he tried to find help for her but was unable to contact her again.
“I tried various means to get help to her, but after one hour, I could not reach out to her. So if she is seeing this, please reach out to me. I am trying to reach out to you,” he said.
The opposition MP used the case to stress the need for amendments to the Family Law Act 2003.
“That is why the call for the amendment to the Family Law Act 2003 is critical, and we should move forward with it,” Sharma said.
“No child should be in a position to take their parents out of their homes.”
