WELLINGTON, March 25, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday ordered an independent judicial inquiry into the Christchurch mosque attacks, saying she wanted to know how a gunman shot dead 50 people on March 15.
“It is important that no stone is left unturned to get to how this act of
terrorism occurred and how we could have stopped it,” Ardern told reporters, adding the inquiry would include intelligence services and police.
Ardern said the country’s highest form of investigation, a royal commission of inquiry, was appropriate for “matters of the gravest public importance.”
Her Cabinet had previously agreed on holding an inquiry, but had not decided what kind of investigation would be held.
Today, she said the Cabinet agreed a royal commission of inquiry “will look at what could have or should have been done to prevent the attack.”
An Australian white supremacist has been charged with murder for the March 15 attacks.
Ardern said a royal commission was needed to find out how a single gunman was able to kill 50 people in an attack that shocked the world.
“It is important that no stone is left unturned to get to how this act of terrorism occurred and how we could have stopped it,” she told reporters.
New Zealand’s spy agencies have faced criticism in the wake of the attack for concentrating on the threat from Islamic extremism.
Instead, the victims were all Muslims and the massacre was allegedly carried out by a white supremacist fixated on the belief that Muslims were “invading” Western countries.
“One question we need to answer is whether or not we could or should have known more,” Ardern said.
“New Zealand is not a surveillance state … but questions need to be answered.”
Ardern ruled out New Zealand re-introducing the death penalty for accused gunman Brenton Tarrant, 28, who was arrested minutes after the attack on the mosques and has been charged with murder.
She said details of the royal commission were being finalised but it would be comprehensive and would report in a timely manner. — NNN-AGENCIES