Praneeta Prakash 
The Home Affairs Minister is concerned over conditions in custody facilities, stressing the need for improved infrastructure and greater support for those held in police custody.
Pio Tikoduadua made the comments following the death of a man held in custody at the Savusavu Police Station last week.
It’s alleged that the man was assaulted by a prisoner in the cell block and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Savusavu Hospital.
The Home Affairs Minister says such an incident should never have happened.
“But I think the lesson from that is that we need to be concerned also about the well-being and welfare of people that we hold in our custody. And we need to build better facilities. Savusavu is confined; it’s a small town, but something that we hope to address. I know this has to do with infrastructure. But I think it links that to be able to protect people, we need to build. We need to look after proper cells and all that.”
Tikoduadua stresses the importance of not only investigating the matter thoroughly but also implementing preventive measures, particularly in smaller, more confined stations like Savusavu.
While refraining from speculating on the mental state of the detainee involved in the alleged assault, Tikoduadua says that police training and infrastructure upgrades are key components in preventing such incidents in the future.
