Specialist Child Interviewer Course closing

 Joint statement from the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection - Fiji and the Fiji Police Force on the completion of the Specialist Child Interviewer Course by Officer.

The Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Protection and the Fiji Police Force commend the New Zealand Government and the New Zealand Police Force for their critical role in delivering the Second Specialist Child Interviewer Course. This capacity building initiative has upskilled sixteen officers of the Fiji Police Force with enhanced skills to strengthen the safety and protection of children in Fiji.

In an ongoing effort to tackle child violence and neglect, the Ministry, in collaboration with the Fiji Police Force, emphasizes the importance of strengthening inter-agency partnerships to safeguard the well-being of Fiji's youngest and most vulnerable citizens.

Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection, Hon. Sashi Kiran, highlighted during the closing of the Fiji Police Force's Second Specialist Child Interviewer Course that child violence remains a serious and pressing issue. Recent statistics revealing that five out of every six children in Fiji have experienced some form of violence during childhood are deeply troubling. These figures underscore the urgent need for specialized training to equip law enforcement officials with the necessary skills to support and protect vulnerable children.

The passing of the Child Justice Act and the Child Care and Protection Act marks a significant milestone in the fight for children’s rights. The Ministry continues to work alongside the Fiji Police Force, the judiciary, and other government bodies to ensure the effective implementation of these laws. This includes providing training, resources, and policy development aimed at enhancing the protection and support for children across the nation.

The Second Specialist Child Interviewer Course has successfully trained sixteen officers in the internationally accepted PEACE Investigative Interviewing model, as well as the National Institute for Child Health and Development (NICHD) child interview protocol. This training ensures that interviews are conducted in a manner that is sensitive to the needs of the child, victim-focused, and legally sound. The ultimate goal is to ensure that evidence gathered during interviews can be presented with integrity in court.

The Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu acknowledged the support of the New Zealand Government and senior advisors from the New Zealand Police in enhancing the organisation's investigative capabilities in the discipline of specialist child interviewers in accordance with best practices.

Commissioner Tudravu said the successful outcome of having another 16 trained specialist child interviewers is a testament of holistic collaborative efforts by Government and regional stakeholders in safeguarding the well-being of young and vulnerable citizens.

The Ministry in close collaboration with the Fiji Police Force remains steadfast in our commitment to creating a safer Fiji for all children, where every child's rights and well-being are upheld, and perpetrators of child violence are held accountable.