[File Photo]

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Child Services Unit have highlighted a range of barriers faced in prosecuting cases of child sexual abuse, particularly when the perpetrator is a family member or someone known to the victim.

ODPP Divisional Manager for Sexual Crimes, Unaisi Ratukalou, says challenges arise at various stages of the legal process from investigation and pre-trial preparations to the court proceedings.

Ratukalou says one of the most common obstacles is family interference, especially in cases involving domestic relationships.

“The parents are trying to get the child to say that they don’t want to participate in the proceedings or they come and they say that it never happened. This is the pressure that they face from home. So often at times they will never come and say I’m being influenced from home.”

Ratukalou adds that during the trial stage, prosecutors face the difficult task of helping young victims recount their traumatic experiences in court.

“We have the responsibility of getting the child to talk about the traumatic experience that they went through. For adults you’re able to talk about it, but even as adults it’s difficult. So think of a child, a young child under the age of 18, under the age of 10, coming to talk about the bad things that were done to them by the people closest to them, so that’s just another barrier.”

The Child Services Unit says many victims experience shame, intimidation, and fear of community backlash, which often prevents them from speaking up.

Both the ODPP and the Child Services Unit stress the importance of stronger collaboration between law enforcement, prosecutors, and welfare officers to ensure child victims are supported throughout the justice process.

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