Fiji Women’s Rights Movement Executive Director, Nalini Singh says they are extremely disappointed by the remarks made by SODELPA MP Mitieli Bulanauca in parliament today.
Bulanauca had today moved a motion in parliament to delete the establishment of a Register for Sex Offenders, which was defeated.
Bulanauca says we cannot have an offender’s name in the register for all of his or her life and we should give them a chance to change.
Bulanauca says the approach in the Bill is founded on hate, where we are hating the person but in fact we should hate the evil that is in that person.
He also says the name of the offender should be removed from the register when the person changes.
When questioned about the comments made by the SODELPA MP, Nalini Singh says heinous crimes against women such as rape and sexual assault merit the punishment they receive in court.
She says the rate of sexual offences in Fiji is alarming.
Singh adds they have found that the average age of survivors of sexual assaults in the past 5 years has been 17 years and below.
Singh says comments like these diminish the efforts of women's rights organizations who are trying to help reduce the rate of sexual offences.
She also says that forgiveness is a personal matter for individuals to engage in and cannot be forced.
Singh says if we are to be forgiving as a principle-based on our religion then first of all we must adhere to the same teaching and not commit the crime in the first place.
