Unit Assistant Director Ela Tukutukulevu

Child neglect cases were among the highest dealt by the Child Services Unit last year.

The Unit registered over 1, 000 cases last year of which 219 were referred to the Ministry of Health.

These cases included malnutrition, teenage pregnancy, rape and child neglect.

Unit Assistant Director Ela Tukutukulevu says these referrals are made to the relevant authorities for the benefit of the child.

“We don’t have all the answers here and so we cannot work in silence as well. There are cases where the main players would be the Ministry of Education and so the same if we need the intervention or the advice of the Ministry of Health that is where we engage our partners.”

Tukutukulevu says they also refer children who need counselling to support agencies.

The two agencies in Fiji are Empower Pacific and the Medical Services Pacific.

The Unit also referred some cases to the Fiji Police Force, the Social Welfare Ministry and the Education Ministry.