![]() ![]() Then-prime minister Jacinda Ardern moved quickly to tighten gun laws in the aftermath of the attacks and put pressure on social media giants to curb online extremism.Ī Royal Commission of Inquiry into the shootings found that intelligence services had been distracted from far-right threats because they were too focused on the “threat of Islamist extremist” activity. The families of the victims “are united in their pursuit of understanding, seeking clarity on whether their loved ones could have survived”, Galal added. “This pursuit of truth is crucial for healing and closure,” said Maha Galal, spokesperson for the 15 March Whanau Trust representing some of the victims’ relatives. The inquest will examine the response times of police and emergency services, the medical response at each of the mosques, whether Tarrant was helped in planning the attack, and whether any lives could have been saved. Two people died from their injuries in hospital. His victims were all Muslim and included children, women and the elderly. Observers were shown a harrowing video depicting the gunman’s movements around Christchurch on the day of the attack, including footage he had filmed using a GoPro camera.Īrmed with semiautomatic weapons, Tarrant first attacked Friday worshippers at Christchurch’s Al Noor Mosque before driving to the nearby Linwood Islamic Centre, livestreaming the killings. Windley is not expected to release her findings until some time in 2024. The inquiry will examine 10 issues including the response by emergency services and hospital staff, whether the gunman had direct assistance from any other person and the cause of death for each of the deceased. The gunman, Australian Brenton Tarrant, is now serving a whole-life sentence in prison after being convicted on 51 charges of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one charge of committing a terrorist act.įamily and friends packed the court for the emotionally charged opening session, which included a traditional Maori welcome, a reading from the Quran and a moving video tribute to each of the victims. The Maattacks in the southern city were the worst mass shooting in New Zealand’s history, and shocked the country. ![]() Windley said the inquiry, which is scheduled to last six weeks, would “seek to shine a light” on what happened and would consider making recommendations to reduce the chances of a similar event happening again. “This inquiry presents an important and critical opportunity to also look at what we may learn from this atrocity and speak for those who have lost their lives in an effort to protect the living,” she said.Keep reading list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Christchurch, COVID-19: Jacinda Ardern’s years in office list 2 of 4 Christchurch attack film slammed over ‘white saviour’ narrative list 3 of 4 Survivors of Christchurch attacks react to sentencing list 4 of 4 New Zealand mosque shooter sentenced to life without parole end of list She said the objective was to provide answers to outstanding questions for grieving families about what happened to their loved ones - and to examine whether anything further can be done to prevent further tragedies. ![]() The inquest began at about 10am with a powerful and harrowing video tribute to the 51 men, women and children murdered as they gathered to pray in March 2019.Ĭoroner Windley made a brief opening address about the inquest process and why it was crucial to seek answers, for not just the families of the dead and survivors but for the whole of New Zealand. She said anyone who did not want to see the video was more than welcome to leave the courtroom - or disconnect the link if they were watching the proceedings remotely. She said while the content was not graphic, it would likely be upsetting and disturbing for some. This morning, Coroner Windley advised those attending the inquest that the footage would be played and what it would show - and not show. ![]()
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