A two-year-old toddler is the youngest rape victim this year.
This was revealed by Minister for Women Mereseini Vuniwaqa while closing the Early Childhood Week in Nadi.
Vuniwaqa says the youngest rape victim last year was a one-year-10 month child.
She says these worrying facts demand to re-look at the way we take care of our children.
“Another worrying fact is that a significant number of perpetrators of rape and sexual offences against children are known to the child victim. Thirty-four perpetrators themselves are children below the age of 18 years.”
Vuniwaqa says the sad thing is that some perpetrators of these heinous crimes against children are their very own parents and grandparents committing the crime in their own homes.
She adds that we cannot afford to sweep these incidences under the carpet.
Vuniwaqa reiterates that if people remain quiet about these cases, for the sake of keeping the family together or saving the reputation of the family then they are as guilty as the perpetrator for continuing the vicious cycle of crime against children in our country.
