Solomon Islands: The deeply disturbing incidents of sexual offences committed against children and women.
I plead ignorance on whether the recommendations of the Solomon Islands Law Reform Commission’s review of the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code second interim report on sexual offences, made in 2013, were brought into force, citing tougher prison sentences for sexual offences against children and women.
If both the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code were amended subsequently to 2013, the continuing incidences of sexual offences against children in the Solomon Islands, including rape, is disturbing and raises questions about general morality, traditional leadership, church teaching, sentencing and law enforcement across the vast spread of territory with still limited police numbers.
From an outsiders perspective of the increasing numbers of reported incidence of child sexual abuse in the Solomon Islands the picture is deeply concerning and perhaps requires the real, factual, situation to be clarified in the event some kind of intervention could be helpful and forthcoming.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
