4% reduction in overall crime rate last year

The Fiji Police Force recorded a four percent reduction in the overall crime rate last year.

According to the Police 2016 Crime Analysis Report, the western division was the only area which recorded an increase in crime last year which was by 16 percent.

While releasing the report this morning, Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho says there was a six percent decrease in crimes against women and a three percent reduction in crimes against children.

There were 889 male and 80 female perpetrators of children and 132 of the offenders were related to the victims.

The youngest child victim last year was a 3-month-old baby.

Qiliho says the 13 to 17-year-old female victims make up 37 percent of the total rape cases reported in 2016.

In crimes against women recorded last year, there were 2,080 male and 281 female perpetrators and 701 offenders were related to women victims.

The Police Commissioner says the most common types of physical and sexual abuse that were done to women include Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm, Common Assault, Criminal Intimidation, Rape and Attempted rape.

However, the report revealed a 4 percent increase in serious offences with an increase in rape and attempted rape by 15%, aggravated robbery by 22% and drugs offences by 9%.