Fiji should follow England’s lead and introduce a nationwide ban on internet pornography to help combat a disturbing rise in incest and domestic sexual abuse cases, police officers and community leaders have urged.
The proposal was raised during a recent community consultation in Nasoso, Nadi, where residents and police argued that stronger internet restrictions could help protect vulnerable children from sexual abuse within their own homes.
As per the Fiji Times, Sergeant Semi Meru of the Namaka Police Station said the suggestion came from a local airline pilot during discussions with the community.
“There are a lot of pilots in Nasoso, and one of the pilots suggested that if England blocked watching of pornographic movies, then why can’t we?” Sgt Meru said.
“The pilot was sharing that in England, if you go to Google, and if you start to search pornography, it is totally blocked.”
The call comes as Fiji records an alarming number of sexual offences involving family members.
According to mid-year statistics released by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, there were 37 rape or sexual assault cases involving relatives or people in domestic relationships between January and June this year.
The figures include seven cases involving the sexual abuse of stepchildren.
In one of the most disturbing incidents, a 56-year-old man was charged in June with allegedly raping his 13-year-old biological daughter.
Sgt Meru said the growing number of father-daughter sexual abuse cases highlighted the need for urgent intervention and claimed unrestricted access to online pornography was contributing to the problem. “If a father rapes his own daughter, then we know maybe the father was watching it,” he said.
He warned that exposure to explicit online material could distort behaviour and increase the risk of opportunistic abuse within households.
“Fiji may be a small nation, but the rise of sexual offences within families is a major crisis that requires immediate, nationwide intervention.”
The concerns are not new.
Fiji has one of the highest rates of mobile internet usage in the Pacific, but women’s advocates have long warned that increased access to online pornography has coincided with growing levels of sexual violence and easier exposure of children to explicit material.
The Fijian Government has previously indicated it wanted to begin a national discussion about pornography and online safety, including the introduction of stronger regulations.
Former National Taskforce to Address Pornography member and Government MP Manoa Kamikamica has welcomed recent safety initiatives by Meta, including new tools aimed at tackling harmful content, fake accounts, sextortion and online exploitation.
He told FBC that technology companies taking greater responsibility was a positive first step, but stronger local laws remained necessary.
“Certainly, the news that Meta is introducing new tools that will restrict, I guess, the first line of defence would be very welcome,” Kamikamica said.
“And hopefully joined with the initiatives that Honourable Tabuya and Honourable Naivalurua are pushing forward around Facebook controls, TikTok controls, etc. This will all create a healthier environment for our children, and that would be a very positive development.”
Kamikamica said legislative reforms recommended by the National Taskforce to Address Pornography remained a priority and expressed hope they would be implemented before the end of the current parliamentary term.
He said a combination of stronger regulation, improved online safeguards and greater public awareness would be critical to protecting children from exploitation and reducing the harm associated with online pornography.
The renewed calls come as authorities continue to grapple with rising concerns about online exploitation, child protection and domestic sexual violence across Fiji.
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