Family disputes ranging from divorces, maintenance and restraining orders are on the rise in Fiji.
Latest statistics reveal that the Family Court has been seeing an increased number of domestic cases, which is becoming a serious concern amongst Fijians.
FWRM Team Leader for the Justice Program, Menka Goundar says a massive hundred and one percent of divorce cases have been resolved in the Family court over the last five years.
Goundar says custody cases filed by women in 2012 amounted to 295, however this increased by 80 percent in 2016, recording 531 cases.
She also says that more cases were refused rather than being granted by the courts.
“43% of women have no legal representation compared with 35% of men and 10% of cases brought by either men or women are represented by the Legal Aid Commission in the Family Court.”
Another troubling revelation made is that sexual offence cases heard in the Magistrates court increased from 279 in 2007 to 2036 in 2013. By 2016, the number of cases fell to 675.
Between 2011 and 2016, in 99 percent of rape cases were filed and most of the accused were male.
The Fiji Women Rights Movement say that in order to reduce these cases, they have conducted a survey research with relevant information to assist the justice system.
