Christchurch (New Zealand) – Brenton Tarrant (29) filmed his bloody rampage and broadcast the footage live on the Internet. He killed 51 people in two mosques. The youngest victim was three, the oldest 71 years old. Now, barely a year and a half later, the hearing of survivors and relatives of the victims in the trial of Christchurch bombers began.
For at least four days they should be given the opportunity to speak up in court and to tell about the consequences of the massacre. According to the judiciary, statements by 66 people are read out. If necessary, the hearing can be extended. The verdict against the assassin is then announced – he may never be released.
Judge Cameron Mander said at the beginning of the hearing that he had received a total of around 200 statements from those affected, as well as submissions from Muslim and other social organizations. “I’ve read them all.”
In addition, more details about the crime were revealed – including that Tarrant wanted to attack a third mosque and set fire to other buildings! This is reported by the British „Guardian“.
Mother of a victim: “You failed miserably”
Maysoon Salama, whose son Ata Elayyan was killed in the attack, said in her statement that he was the victim of an “inhuman” murder. The perpetrator “terrorized all of New Zealand and made the whole world sad.”
Photo: POOL / Reuters-“data-zoom-src =” https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/maysoon-salama-verlor-ihren-sohn-bei-den-anschlaegen-von-christchurch-201509546-72538758/Bild/2.bild. jpg “/>
Maysoon Salama lost her son in the Christchurch attacksPhoto: POOL / Reuters
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Addressing the defendant, she added, “You thought you might break us. But you failed miserably. ”Elayyan’s widow, Farah Kamal, said in her statement that she and her daughter should have learned to live with“ the indescribable pain ”of loss.
The right-wing extremist from Australia attacked Muslim believers on March 15, 2019, killing 51 people. 50 others were injured. He broadcast the crime on the Internet via a helmet camera. Previously, he had sent a manifest with racist and right-wing extremist slogans by email and posted it on the Internet. It was the most devastating violent crime in the recent history of the Pacific state.
Tarrant are charged with the murders, 40 attempted murders and terrorism. In March he had pleaded guilty on video after pleading not guilty for a year. The admission of guilt eliminated a lengthy process. This was a relief for the survivors and their relatives, as they feared that the assassin could use the procedure as a platform to spread his right-wing extremist views.
The defendant faces life imprisonment
In order to prevent publicly broadcast hate speech at the hearing, there is no live stream from the courtroom. There is only a video transmission for those relatives and those affected who cannot be there in person. The accused faces life imprisonment, possibly with no possibility of early release. Such a sentence has never been imposed in New Zealand.
The attacker had initially shot 42 people in the Al-Nur Mosque in the Riccarton district, and killed another seven in the Linwood Islamic Center. Two injured people later died in hospital. Many more were wounded so badly that they had to be hospitalized for months.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in particular received international praise for dealing with the crime. The days after that she was always present, hugging people, wearing a headscarf and finding the right words. She also had semi-automatic weapons banned – and called for the perpetrator not to be named: “He wanted to achieve many things with his act of terror. One of them was getting famous. So you will never hear his name from me, ”she said. Instead, one should remember the names of the people who lost their lives.
At the weekend, the assassin was flown to Christchurch on the South Island in a military plane from Auckland on the North Island, where he had previously been in prison, under massive security contingent. When the verdict is announced, he wants to do without lawyers, as it became known in July. He wants to make use of his right to represent himself.
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