FijiFirst leader Voreqe Bainimarama fully supports the idea of introducing harsher sentences for rapists in the country.
This comes after a question was raised by 59-year-old Kinivuwai Nacagilevu during the FijiFirst campaign in Nabua, Suva yesterday requesting Bainimarama to re-introduce corporal punishment for child rapists.
The former military officer raised his concerns about the alarming increase of women and children topping the list of rape and sexual offences committed against them.
He adds convicted rapists are only sentenced for less than a decade while some receive more but it’s not enough to reduce the increasing problem in the country.
Bainimarama in response says this is an ongoing concern because corporal punishment was removed a few years ago because of human rights.
”I don’t know if the corporal punishment will do us any good maybe the length of the court sentences can be requested to be increased.”
Bainimarama says talks are currently ongoing to increase sentences for rapists.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions last month charged 19 people with a total of 34 counts of separate serious sexual offences -12 victims were under the age of 18 years.
The offences include 23 incidents of rape, one of indecent assault, six cases of defilement and four cases of sexual assault.
