The Fiji Parliament has passed the Child Justice Bill Thursday.
There was no opposition to the Bill.
Minister for Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya thanked the former Fiji First government for initiating this piece of law.
The Child Justice Bill, of course, sets the foundation for the rights and welfare of children across our nation,” she said.
The new law raises the age of criminal responsibility for children and focusing on diversion.
“The Child Justice Bill compliments the protection of children, by ensuring that children who find themselves in conflict with the law are heard and the circumstances that led to their offending in the first place, are addressed,” said Tabuya.
Meanwhile, it is alarming to note that in October five children in Fiji were abused each day.
This according to Fiji Assistant Minister for Women and Children Sashi Kiran while highlighting the statistics of crimes against children for the month of October, increased by 39 percent.
While contributing to the debate on the Childcare and Protection Bill 2024, Kiran says that those were the cases that have been reported; and there may be many more cases that remain unreported.
Therefore, to improve reporting on child abuse, Kiran said the bill features mandatory reporting, which will now add a few more professionals to have that duty to report a case of child abuse.
The mandatory reporter will include childcare service and daycare providers, and hostels, in addition to health professionals, teachers, police and counselors.
She said the bill also helps the Ministry and the Child Care Department to tighten processes to protect children in the context of their families and communities as well as those who will need to be under state care.
“The Bill allows a lot more provisions for collaboration for the protection of children between government agencies, and faith-based, community, and traditional leaders. With the concerning numbers of abuse, it allows all stakeholders to work together to arrest the problem. More in-depth work will be required under the bill for referrals, case conferencing, and collaboration with all relevant stakeholders, families, and communities before deciding on the child’s welfare plan”
Kiran said this bill provides for the care of children that are orphaned, or abandoned, as well as those living on the streets.
She said that the ministry did not have a specific mandate, but this bill empowers the Department of Children to look at the issue of children on the streets.
It also allows a child to be placed in safety if the person convicted of an offense against the child is in the same household.