Shania Shayal Prasad 
Police Officers must not encourage reconciliation in domestic and sexual violence cases; all reports must be formally investigated.
Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu warned that officers advising victims to settle abuse through family, faith, or cultural channels rather than the justice system will be disciplined.
This follows allegations of police prioritizing reconciliation over investigation.
Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre coordinator Shamima Ali says the issue has resurfaced despite decades of advocacy, driven by narratives that normalize resolving abuse outside the law.
“We have got a police liaison officer, we have got our counsellors, and so the police liaison officer goes and says, what happened to this case, and he hears from senior officers saying that it has been reconciled. Who reconciled them? We did. That’s not their business.”
In response, Tudravu says officers are trained at the Police Academy and through divisional workshops that all sexual offences and domestic violence cases require investigation.
“All these things are being lectured to our men. But if any police officer is still encouraging that, then we need them to, those who are witnesses to that to come and report to us.”
He acknowledged the issue remains an ongoing challenge.
Tudravu stresses the need for continued training to ensure officers respond appropriately to abuse complaints.
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