FWRM Ten-Year Analysis Exposes Disturbing Patterns Of Sexual Violence Against Girls In Fiji

The Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) has released a ten-year trend analysis of rape cases decided by the High Court of Fiji, shedding light on the alarming patterns of sexual violence against women and girls between 2016 and 2025.

The findings highlight a disturbing reality - children make up the majority of victims in rape cases before the High Court.

Across the ten-year period, more than half of victim-survivors each year were under the age of 18. The trend worsened in the last two years, with 93% of victims under 18 in 2024 and 100% in 2025, meaning every recorded victim in 2025 was a child.

Continuing with annual rape case analysis since 2016, FWRM's 10-year trends analysis reveal:
• Victim Age: Most victims were under 18 years old, reaching 100% in 2025. Infants and very young children were repeatedly recorded as victims, including a 6-month-old in 2018 and a 6-year-old in 2025. (Note: 3 cases in 2025 did not state the ages of the victim/survivors in the summing, judgement, and sentencing. These cases were not factored into this analysis.)

• Perpetrator Profile: Offences were overwhelmingly committed by men, aged 25 to 42 years across the ten-year period.

• Relationship to Victim: Between 50% and 78% of cases involved perpetrators known to the victim, often within domestic or familiar settings. In 2025, 78% of victims were related to the perpetrator.

• Sentencing: Average custodial sentences ranged from 8.2 years (2022) to 13.4 years (2020), with 2025 averaging 9.72 years (116.7 months), reflecting consistently significant sentences.

• Case Duration: Over the ten-year period, cases took on average 2.8 years to reach judgment, ranging from 2.5 to 3.1 years, showing that survivors often wait 2–3 years for their cases to be decided.

The analysis reviewed 482 rape cases decided by the High Court and published on the Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute (PacLII), building on FWRM’s ongoing research commitment since its 2017 report, Balancing the Scales: Improving Fijian Women’s Access to Justice which also highlights the urgent reality women face in seeking help, with women in Fiji taking an average of 868 days, or more than two years, to report abuse.

"The ten-year rape case analysis paints a deeply troubling picture - over the past decade gender-based violence in Fiji has overwhelmingly targeted children, with perpetrators often coming from within families or close communities. These are not isolated incidents; they are part of a persistent pattern where the most vulnerable, those who should feel safest in their homes, face unimaginable harm. The trends underscore the urgent need for societal awareness, protective measures, and accessible justice to break this cycle and safeguard future generations," FWRM Executive Director, Nalini Singh said.

FWRM calls on the Government of Fiji and justice sector stakeholders to strengthen efforts to address sexual violence against women and girls.

FWRM acknowledges the support of the International Center for Advocates Against Discrimination (ICAAD) for providing technical advice in conducting the analysis.

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