The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) has called on the Commissioner of Police to explain why a person of interest in an ongoing sexual harassment investigation was allowed to leave Fiji for Australia.

In a statement released on 19 October, FWCC Coordinator Shamima Ali expressed outrage over the development, saying a sporting tournament should not take priority over a woman’s pursuit of justice.

Police have confirmed that the chair of a sporting body was interviewed and released, while the investigation file was being compiled for referral to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for independent legal advice.

Ali said women were repeatedly encouraged to report violence and sexual harassment and trust the institutions responsible for responding to their complaints.

She warned that this confidence could be undermined when serious allegations were not addressed urgently, transparently and consistently.

While acknowledging the importance of the presumption of innocence and the right to due process, Ali stressed that the process must also protect the rights of women who report allegations and seek justice.

FWCC also raised concerns about what it described as recurring shortcomings in police responses to cases involving domestic violence, rape, technology-facilitated violence against women and sexual harassment.

The organisation has called on the Commissioner of Police to publicly explain why the person of interest was allowed to leave Fiji while the investigation remained ongoing and clarify what measures were in place to ensure the person’s availability to Police and return to Fiji if required.