SUVA – Girls as young as 16 years old are being sold for sex in Fiji by pimps to earn quick cash of up to $500 a day. This has been revealed to The Fiji Times by the head of Fiji Police Force’s Human Trafficking Unit, Inspector Aminiasi Cula. Insp Cula said the force was following strong leads into the trafficking of young girls in the country by pimps.
He said a large number of girls were being traded mainly in Suva by pimps who earn large sums of money through the illegal business.
“In this type of industry, children or mostly girls, are being used for sexual exploitation where they are taken from one place to another for clients to take them, go out with them and do sexual exploitation and pay later for what they have done,” he said.
Insp Cula said in this illegal sex trade in Fiji there were pimps who received cash from the clients for the sexual work the victims did.
“It is an issue of match fixing. The clients call the pimps to arrange for the victim to go or the pimps come in and choose which victim they want to take.”
He revealed that the clients pay the girls after having sex with them. “The ages of the girls involved range from 16 to 20 years and it is happening in Suva and around Fiji.”
Insp Cula said the cases being followed by police were genuine and there was a need for people to know that such things were happening.
“Investigation wise, we are trying very hard to gather all the evidence of those who did the recruitment, transportation and those who did the exploitation.”
He said the unit had information that foreigners were also involved in the illegal trade. “We have got names and we are working on them.”
Insp Cula said the involvement of children in the sex trade was a result of broken families. He said most of the time children from broken families end up on the streets .
“Most of these children are from broken families. It is important for parents to teach them. Parents should find out the amount of hours their children spend in school,” he said.
Insp Cula said Fiji had prosecuted two international human trafficking cases and a local one was before court.
“We have information and are working on some local and international cases as well.” Insp Cula said in this illegal sex trade in Fiji there were pimps who received cash from clients for work performed by the victims.
“It is an issue of match fixing. The clients call the pimps to arrange for the victim to go or the pimps come in and choose which victim they want to take. He revealed that the clients pay the girls after having sex with them.
“The ages of the girls involved range from 16 to 20 years and it is happening in Suva and around Fiji.” Insp Cula said the cases being investigated were genuine and there was a need for people to know that such things were happening.
“Investigation wise, we are trying very hard to gather all the evidence of those who did the recruitment, transportation and those who did the exploitation.” He said the unit had information that foreigners were also involved in the illegal trade. “We have got names and we are working on them.”
Insp Cula said the involvement of children in the sex trade was a result of broken families. He said in many instances children from broken homes end up on the streets.
“Most of these children are from broken families. “It is important for parents to teach them. Parents should find out the amount of hours their children spend in school,” he said.
Insp Cula said Fiji had prosecuted two international human trafficking cases and a domestic case was before the court. “We have information and are working on some local and international cases as well.”
