SUVA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Child neglect continues to increase in Fiji with 378 such cases being recorded last year.
According to Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) on Friday, Child Services Unit Assistant Director Ela Tukutukulevu said on Friday that last year there were 378 cases reported on child neglect compared to 239 in 2018.
These cases include medical neglect and supervisory neglect, she said, adding that in some cases, the unit steps in to help in the financial side of things where families cannot afford to provide the medical needs for children.
She said earlier failure to report child cases is a crime and those convicted are liable to pay a fine of 5,000 Fijian dollars (about 2,307 U.S. dollars).
Violence against women and children in Fiji is recognized to be a pervasive and serious national issue.
Fiji's rates of violence against women and children are among the very highest in the world.
According to the Fiji Women's Crisis Center (FWCC), 64 percent of women who have been in intimate relationships have experienced physical or sexual violence from their partners in the island nation.
