‘Christchurch attack was unavoidable’

The security forces in New Zealand made several mistakes in the run-up to the attacks in Christchurch last year. For example, the focus was too much on Muslim terror, not on violence against Muslims. But despite those mistakes, the attack was unavoidable, is the conclusion of a report on the attack in which 51 people died.

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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reports this after the publication of the report on Monday. Brenton Tarrant, an Australian racist, announced his plans online in a manifesto, and committed an attack in two mosques, which he streamed live. It is the worst terrorist attack ever in the country. Tarrant was sentenced to life without parole for the 51 murders this summer.

In the report states that in the years prior to the attack, the focus was very much on Islamist terror. There is talk of ‘inappropriate concentration’ of attention, the report even concludes. Clues about possible attacks by the extreme right were also followed up, it sounds. But research into the far right was not a priority and there was only ‘limited knowledge’ within the security forces.

Yet this does not explain why the perpetrator was allowed to do his thing. He operated independently in such a way that he could have been caught ‘only by accident’, is also stated in the summary of the conclusions.

The report also points to a range of other problems. Semi-automatic firearms, for example, were too easy to obtain in the country, partly due to pressure from the gun lobby.

There was also no reporting point for shooting incidents. Tarrant would have shot himself in the foot in his preparation. He therefore needed medical attention, but it was nowhere recorded that he was working with firearms.

In total, the report contains 44 recommendations. Prime Minister Ardern says she wants to follow all of these recommendations to avoid a repeat.

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