Even four and a half years after the Christchurch terrorist attacks, the scars in New Zealand have not healed. A new investigation is now starting. It’s all about the reaction of the rescuers.
An official investigation into the deadly terrorist attacks on two mosques in Christchurch has begun in New Zealand. A right-wing extremist Australian shot 51 people and injured 50 others in the city on the South Island in March 2019. Brenton Tarrant, then 28 years old, broadcast his crime on the Internet using a helmet camera. The attack was the violent crime with the most victims in the recent history of the Pacific state. The perpetrator was sentenced in August 2020 to life imprisonment without the possibility of early release.
As of today, the so-called “coronial inquiry” is examining, among other things, the reaction of the emergency services and hospital staff, as well as the question of whether the perpetrator received direct help from another person. According to an official statement from the judicial authority, a total of ten points are being investigated. The first phase of processing is expected to last six weeks. The investigation is a legal process required by New Zealand law, involving medical examiners, police, first responders and witnesses.
Prevent such tragedies in the future
The evidence includes thousands of photos and audio files as well as more than 80 hours of video recordings. It is also being checked whether an emergency exit door in one of the mosques did not work. In addition, the exact cause of death of the victims will be determined and whether some of the deaths could have been prevented by another medical response. The aim is to provide answers to unanswered questions from grieving families and to examine whether more can be done to prevent such tragedies in the future, said the head of the investigation, Brigitte Windley, at the start.
A first official investigation report into the crime with recommendations for the government under then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was published in December 2020. A specially appointed royal commission comprehensively investigated how the attacks were even possible, how the perpetrator got his weapons and what role security and secret services played. The attacks led to comprehensive gun reform and the creation of the Christchurch Call, an initiative to combat terrorist and extremist content online.
Source: Stern
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