Ratu Kinijoji Katonivere, 43, the girl's father was arrested on 3 February, before the video surfaced online on Tuesday. Photo: 123RF
Warning: This story discusses graphic details of child abuse.
Fiji's online safety watchdog is pleading with Fijians to stop sharing a disturbing video of a child being severely and brutally beaten by her father to the point she is not able walk, as family members watched on.
The video had been shared on social media hundreds of times, including by the Women and Children's Minister Lynda Tabuya to her 176,000 followers - who only took it down on Thursday afternoon when the footage was shared almost one thousand times.
Fiji Police said the incident occurred on 2 February and the man in the video, Ratu Kinijoji Katonivere, 43, the girl's father was arrested on 3 February, before the video surfaced online on Tuesday.
He has been charged with assault causing bodily harm and was produced at Nausori Magistrate court on Monday.
He has been remanded and will be produced in court again on 19 February for bail application.
The eight-minute distressing footage, which appears to have been recorded by a family member, shows the man verbally abusing and striking the girl with a piece of wood inside the house.
The girl can be heard wailing and seen trying to duck herself from being hit. At one point she manages to run outside the house and onto the road to escape the beating.
But the man follows her and continues with the assault by the roadside. Several other people can be heard standing by telling him to stop but he continues his assault until she's unable to stand up, before he walks away.
A male then goes and carries her back to the house before two women console her and inspect the damages inflicted to her head.
Fijians on social media are calling the incident "the worst kind of child abuse", "inhumane" and "heart-breaking" and expressing outrage at the people who were present but did not intervene.
Some also raised concerns about why the Women's Minister shared the video online which would retraumatise the girl.
Local media reports say the girl is admitted at the main hospital in Suva and has been taken under State care, confirmed by Tabuya.
"We believe that she needs to be in a safe house that receives counselling via child counsellors and that child psychologist to help her through the trauma that she has faced," Tabuya told local media.
"This merciless beating that she faces is captured in the video," she said.
But the country's Online Safety Commission is pleading with the public to stop sharing the video, which remained on the Women's Minister's official Facebook page for almost two days.
"We are urging the public to refrain from spreading such content. Sharing such videos only perpetuates the cycle of violence and exploitation," it said.
"It is crucial for individuals to exercise responsible online behaviour and prioritise the well-being of those involved."
The Commission is calling on people to report all links to the respective social media platforms or directly to the Commission.
According to Fiji's Child Welfare Act national database, child abuse cases continues to increase year-on-year, with almost 2,000 reported in 2022.
Note: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that Tabuya took down the video on Thursday.
