Fiji's Methodist Church is denying allegations of child abuse at one of its orphanages.
Dilkusha Children's Home. Photo: Supplied
But the church said it was investigating the claims at the Dilkusha Home in Nausori .
Church president Reverend Ili Vunisuwai said details of the alleged abuse are yet to verified.
"We have interviewed the head of the orphanage who is managing the home including the children who were alleged to have been abused," he said.
"Surely, if there is any evidence we will take action."
Meanwhile, the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commissioner said it had received a complaint lodged by a person alleging the abuse at the home.
Ashwin Raj and the matter has also been referred to police.
Raj said the complainant had also requested the commission investigate the use of food rations and other assistance to the orphanage by the state.
The Dilkusha Home is jointly managed by the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation and the Methodist Church.
The director of Social Welfare, Rupeni Fatiaki, said the department is working with the church to 'get to the bottom of the issue'.
Churches call for safe policies
Meanwhile, the Fiji Council of Churches has condemned the recent reports of alleged sexual abuse by the clergy against children in the country.
Last week, police launched investigations into a Methodist pastor over claims he sexually assaulted 14 boys while serving on an outer island between 2018 and this year.
This comes amid ongoing police investigations into a Catholic priest accused of molesting boys at a school decades ago.
Archbishop Peter Loy Chong. Photo: Supplied/Archdiocese of Suva
The president of the churches council, Archbishop Peter Loy Chong, says there is no place for any 'violation and inhumane acts of abuse against children by the clergy'.
He said every Christian church must develop its own safeguarding policies, scrutinise and train its pastors to protect women and children in the flock from sexual abuse.
Archbishop Chong, who is head of the Catholic Church, said the council is working with the Pacific Conference of Churches to address the issue.
"It pains my heart to hear that children are abused and it's embarrassing as a church leader to hear this happen among church leaders.
"The churches just have to educate people, put up a policy, put conditions on pastors' work, the strategies they have to follow when dealing with children and what the repercussions could be for a wrong action."
The archbishop said the Catholic Church had conducted training last year to address the issue.
"We carried out three major workshops on domestic violence in Suva, West and the North and every time, we invited the women to speak so that their voices were amplified."
He also said they were working with the Pacific Conference of Churches on a policy to help address the issue.
The archbishop called on the government to invest energy and resources towards promoting positive family relationships.
"The whole thing is increasing across society, it's a social problem, it's not only limited to church people but to the society as a whole so in that context, we need collaborative efforts to address it.
"Building positive family relationships between husband and wife and children are critical because this is where a person's mind is formed or deformed so we have to really go back to the basis of the society which is family and marriage."
Meanwhile, police are yet to release an update on investigations relating to the alleged sexual abuse of the 14 boys by a member of the church clergy.
