Special interview room for victims

VICTIMS of domestic violence and sex abuse crimes will no longer be interviewed in charge rooms.

This was the message from the Fiji Police Force director operations, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Tudravu.

Speaking to The Fiji Times, he said special rooms had been set up at all stations around the country to ensure that confidentiality of victims’ identity were protected.

“They will no longer be dealt with in the charge room,” he said.

“We have a separate room where we handle enquiries of this nature and the environment is such that they feel comfortable and safe and able to relate what had happened to them.”

ACP Tudravu said the force was working on expanding the Sexual Offences Unit and also mandating training to ensure that all officers within the unit were adequately trained.

“We are currently working hard to get our sexual offence unit to be fully trained in counselling and in being more professional when dealing with victims of rape or sexual violence.

“This is not limited to major centres, we are expanding our Sexual Offences Unit and pushing forward our personnel to district level.”

ACP Tudravu was responding to comments made by former High Court judge, Nazhat Shameem at a workshop in Nadi where she highlighted a need for gender training for all police officers who were tasked with dealing with domestic violence and sex abuse cases.

– Fiji Times