By Nacanieli Tuilevuka in Suva
Some police officers are unable to effectively investigate cases of gender-based violence, claims Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre coordinator Shamima Ali.
Ali said many officers lacked the training and knowledge to properly handle such cases, leading to significant challenges for victims seeking justice.
“There is a lack of training that used to happen in Fiji before 2006, and we are facing this as a huge challenge,” Ali said.
While speaking on issues of officers refusing to take statements of domestic violence victims, she said some officers refused to acknowledge cases of gender-based violence, despite the laws in place.
“There are some officers who do not respond to it, and at times, the justice system does not support the interests of women.”
She said if authorities did their job, men would be a bit more scared.
“There’s a reluctance to address domestic violence because of the patriarchal mindset, and this attitude often comes from within the force itself.”
In response, Police Commissioner Juki Fong Chew said the actions of a few were not representative of the way the organisation perceived cases of gender-based violence.
“We have disciplinary measures in place to deal with officers as claimed by Ms Ali, and we encourage the sharing of information so that the officers can be dealt with,” he said.
Fong Chew said these issues could be addressed promptly.
Republished from The Fiji Times with permission.
