Christchurch attacker charged with terrorism
The man accused of shooting dead 51 Muslim
worshippers in the Christchurch mosque attacks was formally charged with
terrorism for the first time on Tuesday, New Zealand police said.
“A charge of engaging in a Terrorist Act under
section 6A of the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002 has now been filed against
Brenton Tarrant,” police said in a statement.
They said that in addition to the terror charge,
Tarrant now faces 51 charges of murder and 40 of attempted murder over the
March 15 attacks in the South Island city.
“The charge will allege that a terrorist act was
carried out in Christchurch,” police said in a statement.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has
characterized the mosque killings a well-planned “terrorist attack” since the
day Tarrant, a self-described white supremacist, allegedly carried them out.
But until now the charges against him were less
expansive, as New Zealand's Terrorism Suppression Act was only introduced in
2002 and is untested in the courts.
Police said the decision to lay the terror charge
was made after consultations with prosecutors and government legal experts.
Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, is currently in a
high security prison undergoing tests to determine if he is mentally fit to
stand trial.
His next court appearance is scheduled for June 14.
Police said they had met survivors and victims’
families Tuesday to explain the additional charges.
“Police are committed to providing all the support
necessary for what will be a challenging and emotional court process to come
for the victim's families and survivors of the attack,” they said.
