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New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern will 'never mention name' of mosque attacker

New Zealand's prime minister has vowed not to give the man accused of shooting 50 people dead in ...
Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

07.58 19 Mar 2019


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New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern...

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern will 'never mention name' of mosque attacker

Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

07.58 19 Mar 2019


Share this article


New Zealand's prime minister has vowed not to give the man accused of shooting 50 people dead in a terror attack publicity.

30 people remain in hospital after the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch last Friday, with nine of them in a critical condition.

Those who died ranged in age from three to 77-years-old - with two children among the dead.

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The gunman used a camera to broadcast 17 minutes of live video of the attack at the al Noor mosque.

A 28-year-old Australian man has been charged with one count of murder, and appeared in court at the weekend.

Jacinda Ardern spoke in New Zealand's parliament four days after the atrocity.

She said: "[The attacker] sought many things from his act of terror, but one was notoriety.

"That is why you will never hear me mention his name."

She added that whoever is responsible is a 'terrorist, criminal and extremist', adding: "He will, when I speak, be nameless."

Ms Ardern also called on social media outlets to do more to combat terrorism-related content on their platform.

She said: "They are the publisher. Not just the postman. There cannot be a case of all profit no responsibility."

Facebook has said they removed about 1.5 million videos of the attack globally in the 24 hours after the shooting.

Investigation

New Zealand police have said there's "no indication at this stage" that anybody else was directly involved in the attack, noting: "We believe this horrific act was committed by one person."

They say they've 250 officers and support staff dedicated to the investigation.

An inquiry into the attack has also been announced by Ms Ardern.

She said an investigation into intelligence leading up to the attacks "will examine what we did know, could have known, or should have known".

The government has pledged a 'frank examination' of and change to the country's gun laws, with details expected in the coming days.

Officials have released the first six bodies of victims to families, amid concerns over how long the process was taking.

Main image: Jacinda Ardern. Image: New Zealand Prime Minister Office via AP / PA Images

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