PRESS RELEASE: HATE SPEECH LEADS TO HATE CRIMES

15 Apr, 2024

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The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre strongly condemns the shameful and ineffective response by Police towards the brutal murder of 19-year-old Esther Ravato two weeks ago. 

This brutal hate crime and the toxic and destructive path of hate speech should not be normalised by Police or anyone in this country. It has taken reporting by the media, pressure from human rights groups and the public for Police to investigate allegations of the brutal assault. 

We urge Police to thoroughly and without bias investigate the horrific assault and stop obfuscating this, by repeatedly stating the cause of death as epilepsy. We also urge the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission to carry out an independent investigation of its own volition. 

This 19-year-old transgender woman like so many other Fijians in this country are targeted and have a system of bias against them because of their sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity. Leaders must take the lead role in calling this out every day especially those who have access to social media. 

Social media platforms amplify and spread hate speech at lightning speed which is often aimed at vulnerable groups, reinforcing discrimination, stigma, marginalization and often violence. Women and people of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity are frequent targets. Our leaders and the authorities must be vigilant and active to deal with this because hate speech leads to hate crimes. We shouldn’t only be speaking out when tragedies occur but speaking out against hate speech and other toxic outpourings and actions must be continuous. 

To our parents and elders, please promote and embrace inclusion and non-discrimination because as we have seen in this case, all the social nets that were supposed to help Esther Ravato failed her.

We will remember Esther in our weekly solidarity vigil and rally on Thursday at the FWCC Compound in Suva at 5.30pm. 

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