The Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission welcomes the Minister for Home Affairs commitment to have allegations of police brutality cases investigated and those held accountable, to face the criminal justice system.

Chair, Pravesh Sharma says the Commission strongly condemns any act of violence inflicted by the law enforcement agencies on people during arrest or while in custody.

The Commission has received complaints in relation to allegations of police brutality and police misconduct from the public.

Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission Chair, Pravesh Sharma.

In a recent case, the Commission received a complaint of alleged harassment by police of a disabled woman, who was taken into custody and left unattended.

The woman was in her diapers and was unassisted in using toilet facilities.

Sharma says after the Commission intervened, the woman was allowed to go home.

Sharma says one of the reasons detained persons are brutalized or tortured by law enforcement agents is to obtain confessions or information from them.

He stresses that confession or information obtained by torture should be inadmissible in Court.

Section 11(1) of the Constitution Fiji states that every person has the right to freedom from torture of any kind, whether physical, mental or emotional, and from cruel, inhumane, degrading or disproportionately severe treatment or punishment.

Sharma says Fiji has also ratified the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2016.

Meanwhile, Acting Commissioner of Police Juki Fong Chew has assured the HRADC that this matter will be addressed.

Fong Chew says issued raised on where to improve will be communicated also to the other divisions of the Police Force.

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