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	Ali Decries Cover-Up Fiji Times October 9, 2007 http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=72012 The community, more often than not will protect rather than incriminate religious representatives who are accused of abusing people entrusted in their care, says the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre. Centre Coordinator Shamima Ali said the case involving two Methodist chaplains charged with sexually abusing students in separate institutions within the Lomaiviti group was "only the tip of the ice-berg." "We believe there are a lot more cases out there involving those placed in positions of trust," she said. Police confirmed that two senior Methodist ministers have been charged with sexually harassing female students at the schools. Ms Ali said the centre had noted from past cases reported to them that the community would often go to great lengths to help cover-up cases involving representatives of religious organisations, accused improprieties. "There is so much pressure put on the families by the community and we have seen that it is the community that protects the perpetrators rather than the victim," she said. Ms Ali said the centre once handled a case where a whole congregation signed a petition in favour of a pastor who had been accused of making sexual advances on an 11-year-old girl. She said over the years they noted that families had been pressured by the community to drop charges against priests from different faiths, accused of acts of sexual abuse, in light of their social standing and revered status. Ms Ali said there was often "a conspiracy of silence in protecting the perpetrators ' within the community because of their positions of individuals who took religion to the people. She said if found guilty the pastors should face the full brunt of the law because they had abused the trust and responsibility bestowed on them. The two recently charged pastors, who are both married with children alleged committed the incidents between January 2004 and May last year. They are expected to appear in court to face various counts of indecent assault and indecently annoying females in November.
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