Fiji police Photo: Supplied
There is a call in Fiji for the state to reinforce its commitment to end Fiji's culture of torture and brutality by police and military personnel.
The Citizens Constitutional Forum says it is up to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the court system to end the practice of impunity.
It says there is a strong national public interest for the Office to explain its decision last week to drop manslaughter charges against eight policemen and a military officer over the death of Vilikesa Soko.
He died in hospital of severe injuries after being detained on suspicion of a robbery in Nadi.
The CCF notes that the prosecution has upheld the rape charges but it says it is now unlikely that the perpetrators of gruesome acts of torture will be given a sentence proportionate to the gravity of the offence.
It calls on the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to hold security personnel to account for acts of cruel and degrading treatment.
In a separate case last month, the Office charged three police officers and two members of the military with sexual assault of a prison escapee.
Two of the men are also among the nine suspects charged over the alleged rape of Vilikesa Soko.