Rape cases made up more than half of last month's criminal cases dealt with by Vanuatu's Supreme Court.
Transcript
Rape cases made up more than half of last month's criminal cases dealt with by Vanuatu's Supreme Court.
It has sparked a drive to discuss the issue of violence against women and the failure to curb the problem.
Indira Moala reports.
An increase in sexual offences show that rape is on the rise again in Vanuatu, this time showing a significant age gap between victims and their perpetrators.
Just last week, a stepfather pleaded guilty for raping his stepdaughter, a teenager admitted he raped a 71-year-old woman.
A man in his 50s pleaded not guilty to raping two young girls.
The President of the Vanuatu National Council of Women, Blandine Boulekone, says women are increasingly feeling unsafe in Vanuatu particularly on the main island.
Blandine Boulekone: It is so painful for us women to hear all this case, you know. At the end of the day you don't know what you are. We were feeling safe - some years ago, I remember, it was more safe than today. Now I don't think that we feel totally safe.
Vanuatu Police Commissioner Arthur Caulton confirmed the increase in reported sexual offences against women.
Arthur Caulton: There has been an increase in sexual violence or sexual assault, including rape and sexual activities. There has been a push to ensure that women are fully aware of their rights and that they report such cases to the police and to the courts.
Ms Boulekone says she believes one of the causes of the increase in sexual violence is the influence of the internet and its content.
She says Vanuatu needs to block access to some sites, in particular pornography.
Mr Caulton agrees and adds that there is a need for workers involved in the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme to be screened when they return because they are bringing back pornographic material not allowed in Vanuatu.
AC: I think there's an increase of awareness and people being available to access internet, especially to prohibited materials that are now available on the net. There are a lot of people who are able to access internet porn sites. And also a lot of people who are coming from overseas. I was in New Zealand two weeks ago and I voiced this concern to the NZ police and New Zealand authorities that we are having issues with people coming back from the RSE scheme and bringing back items that are not prohibited for Vanuatu.
Last year, a United Nations survey of 10,000 men in Asia and the Pacific found the rates of violence against women in the Pacific were the highest in the Asia-Pacific region. James Lang is the Programme Coordinator for Partners for Prevention and says they are developing programmes that can be applied in the region to help curb the issue.
James Lang: The UN family and of course the Australia and New Zealand governments have focussed on violence in the Pacific for quite a long time. So there are programmes that I would consider promising, that are being undertaken in the Pacific. Although as we know, the scope of the problem is actually quite large. The rates of violence against women in the Pacific are generally higher than other parts of Asia and the Pacific - it's much higher in the Pacific.
Mr Caulton says the case of the teenager who admitted to raping an elderly blind woman is also part of the increase in offences by minors and highlights the need for a juvenile justice system which does not exist in Vanuatu.
The teenager has pleaded guilty for raping the 71 year old woman and will be tried as an adult.
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