The investigation of sex crimes is often difficult, especially when the accused is related to the victim.

Police Commissioner Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho says they’re working with the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) to train officers on the best ways to investigate such crimes.

He says despite officers having investigative skills to conduct their work proficiently, there’s still room for improvement.

He adds it’s difficult for investigators to understand the psyche of the accused within the 48 hour detainment period – especially if the victim is related to the culprit.

“You and I know that majority of these cases are happening behind closed doors and in what is supposed to be safe zones. Some in law enforcement may argue that it’s out of control because majority of the cases involve family members and we cannot see what’s happening inside their homes. Personally, I believe more can be done and that a lot can be learnt within any 48 hour detainment period.”

He says investigating officers can gather so much information within the detainment period and questioning process to use in their white glove approach to creating community awareness about sex crimes.

“The detection and successful prosecution of sexual offences is undoubtedly a priority for us – but – we also need to focus on the prevention aspects and try to better understand why the crimes are being committed in the first place.”

Meanwhile, more than twenty officers from the Criminal Investigation department are undergoing training on sexual assault investigation to broaden their knowledge of such matters.