SUVA, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Fiji recorded 1,977 child welfare cases last year through the Child Helpline and partner service providers, with most linked to neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse.
Fijian Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran told parliament that 62 percent of these cases were tied to those three categories.
She stressed that children remain the largest victim group in sexual offence cases reported to the Fiji Police Force each year.
Findings from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, conducted by the Fiji Bureau of Statistics, show that 80 percent of children aged one to 14 experienced some form of violent discipline in the past month, Kiran said.
Child protection advocates have consistently called for stronger community-based interventions, better resourcing for frontline services, and more consistent enforcement of child welfare laws to address what they describe as a national crisis. ■