Human Trafficking in [Fiji] [other countries]Street Children in [Fiji] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Fiji |
Child Prostitution The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of
Children In the first ten years of the 21st
Century - 2000 to 2009
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CAUTION: The following links and accompanying text have been culled
from the web to illuminate the situation in Fiji. Some of these links may lead to websites
that present allegations that are unsubstantiated, misleading or even
false. No attempt has been made to
validate their authenticity or to verify their content. ***
FEATURED ARTICLE *** The Commercial Sexual Exploitation And Sexual Abuse Of Children In Fiji [PDF] [3.1.1] TYPES OF COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN - There is a general consensus across communities and amongst NGOs working on these issues, that the general age of those involved in prostitution is decreasing. The observations of the research team on the streets and in the nightclubs of Suva and Savusavu, and from media reports and anecdotal evidence support this view. There is also a general consensus that while girls are the predominant group involved in prostitution an increasing number of boys are becoming involved too. A local Magistrate when interviewed stated that in the last two years there has been a gradual increase in the number of cases involving young boys working as prostitutes come through the courts. ***
ARCHIVES *** U.S.
Dept of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs [PDF] CHILD LABOR LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT – The Constitution prohibits
forced labor, and the Penal Code prohibits the sale or hiring of minors less
than 16 years of age for prostitution. Bur of Democracy,
Human Rights & Labor - Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2006 CHILDREN - Multiple reports suggested that
child prostitution increased during the year. Child prostitution was evident
in poverty-stricken urban areas and among homeless urban youth. Urban
migration and the subsequent breakdown of community structures, children from
outer islands living with relatives while attending high school, and
homelessness all appeared to be factors that increased a child's chance of
being exploited for commercial sex. Increasing urbanization led to
more children working as casual laborers, often with no safeguards against
abuse or injury. Children
as young as 13 involved in sex trade www.radioaustralia.net.au/programguide/stories/200810/s2396231.htm
LEE: The Fiji Womens Crisis
Centre says vulnerable children are increasingly finding themselves hanging
around ports, attracted to the sex trade that often occurs off shore. It's also claimed that children are being
employed as prostitutes by pimps who also double as taxi drivers, as well as
attracting paedophiles on the streets. The Center's co-ordinator,
Shamima Ali, says they're investigating yatchties who allegedly lure young children to swim out
to sea and hop on board to perform sex acts in exchange for less than twenty
dollars. ALI: We're expressing concern
that maybe these children are being taken around and being passed on to other
people and so on. They are very vulnerable children, particularly given the
poverty sitution of the economy in Fiji at the
moment. When
child labour is not legal Some of the worst forms of child labour globally are drug trafficking, pornography and
child prostitution. Fiji is one of the
countries where child labour has existed and one of
the worst forms of child labour here is child
prostitution, which is not to a great extent, but it does exist. Until such time, we do not have
concrete statistics but some of the worst forms of child labour
exists here like child prostitution. In the child committee meeting, even the
police force also recognised that there are some
child prostitutes and sometimes children are seen to be carrying drugs. It has also been reported that children are
used for pornographic purposes, so these are the worst forms of child labour and sometimes you hear of reports that these sort of things exist. There are some cases in Fiji. Pacific
Island children risk sex abuse Children in The report, by the UN Children's
Fund Pacific, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
and End Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children
for Sexual Purposes, is based on studies in 2004 and 2005 in Fiji, Kiribati,
Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. The report in its summary said the
five studies confirmed that in each country children were sexually abused by
family members and neighbours, and that child
prostitution, child pornography, early marriage, child sex tourism and
trafficking occurred. The
Commercial Sexual Exploitation And Sexual Abuse Of Children In Fiji [PDF] [3.1.1] TYPES OF COMMERCIAL SEXUAL
EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN - There is a general consensus across communities and amongst NGOs
working on these issues, that the general age of
those involved in prostitution is decreasing. The observations of the
research team on the streets and in the nightclubs of Suva and Savusavu, and from media reports and anecdotal evidence
support this view. There is also a general consensus that while girls are the
predominant group involved in prostitution an increasing number of boys are
becoming involved too. A local Magistrate when interviewed stated that in the
last two years there has been a gradual increase in the number of cases
involving young boys working as prostitutes come through the courts. The Protection Project - Fiji [DOC] FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE TRAFFICKING INFRASTRUCTURE – Pacific Island children may be particularly
vulnerable targets for child sex tourists. As the South Pacific emerges as a
huge tourist destination, and as police crack down on sex tourists, both in
their home countries (such as Australia) and in the more popular destination
countries in Asia, there is growing concern that child sex tourism and
associated activities are on the increase in the region. FORMS OF TRAFFICKING - As recently as late December 2003, Fiji police expressed
concern over the increasing number of girls who were “choosing prostitution
as a career.” Girls ranging in age from 13 to their mid-20s can be seen
working on the streets ECPAT: Fifth Report on implementation of the Agenda for
Action [DOC] www.ecpat.net/eng/Ecpat_inter/publication/other/english/Doc_page/ecpat_5th_a4a_2001_full.doc At one time this article had been
archived and may possibly still be accessible [here] [B] COUNTRY UPDATES – Another Aspect of the Sodomy Case www.humanrights.org.fj/news/press_releases/Features/2005/1Sept2005.htm At one time this article had been
archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]
The Fiji Human Rights Commission
believes that a clear signal should be given to foreign visitors and local
people that authorities, including courts in Some years ago, a case of sexual
exploitation of children in Fiji was in the limelight. The infamous Mark Mutch case involved an expatriate in Fiji who sexually
exploited vulnerable children by producing pornographic materials. Mutch was charged with rape and indecent assault on
children of a young age. He first assisted them by paying their school fees
and also supporting their families financially, thus gaining their trust and
confidence. In the trial during the Mark Mutch case, the judge said "let the message be very
clear to people like Mutch that any kind of sexual
exploitation of children will not be tolerated in the Republic of the What Makes Children Vulnerable to Sexual Exploitation? www.ecpat.net/eng/CSEC/faq/faq9.asp At one time this article had been archived
and may possibly still be accessible [here]
CONSUMERISM - In many developed countries
young people are being pushed into prostitution, not as members of the
underclass trying to escape grinding poverty but as members of the middle
class who desire greater disposable income. They enter the sex trade because
they are overwhelmed by the prospect of earning a lot of money quickly. They
are enticed by peer pressure or powerful advertising, as well as the value
that society places on expensive brand name products or luxury goods and
services. In Fiji, for example, there are
reports of increased numbers of children prostituting themselves around
Christmas to earn money for gifts. Statistical Dimension of Sexual Exploitation of Children www.indianngos.com/issue/child/sexual/statistics/statistics17.htm At one time this article had been
archived and may possibly still be accessible [here] There are reports of parents
offering the sexual services of their own children for money to sailors from Boys and girls in Fiji become
involved in prostitution because of poverty, boredom, desire to earn money
for extra spending, demand by tourists and lack of enforcement of education.
(UN Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child
Pornography, Report on Fiji, 27 December 1999) Child prostitution is happening in
urban centres, says Adi Vulase of Safetynet Care Fiji,
a non-profit organisation that looks into the
welfare of homeless children. ("Fiji Kids in Sex Trade", Fiji
Times, 29 October 1999, reprinted in Pacific Islands Report) Thematic Reports - Mechanisms of the Commission on Human
Rights www.hri.ca/fortherecord2000/vol3/fijitr.htm At one time this article had been
archived and may possibly still be accessible [here] The report concludes that, on the
basis of information received, children in [PAGE 40] THE SCOPE AND NATURE OF THE PROBLEM IN THE EAP REGION - Although smaller in scale, the
commercial sexual exploitation of children also appears to be escalating in
the Pacific Islands, in particular in Fiji and the Solomon Islands, which are
becoming major destinations for child sex tourism, especially for
Australians. All material used herein
reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107 for noncommercial,
nonprofit, and educational use. PLEASE
RESPECT COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT ARTICLES.
Cite this webpage as: Patt, Prof. Martin,
"Child Prostitution - |
Human Trafficking in [Fiji] [other countries]Street Children in [Fiji] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Fiji