Judge orders psychiatric test for Christchurch suspect
April 4, 2019
The Australian man accused of massacring worshippers in New Zealand has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric test to determine his fitness for trial. He has been charged with 50 counts of murder.
Image: Reuters/M. Mitchell
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A New Zealand judge on Friday ordered the accused Christchurch shooter to complete a psychiatric assessment to determine if he is fit to face trial for the murder of 50 Muslim worshippers.
The March 15 shooting at two mosques caused major reforms to New Zealand's gun control laws and sparked criticism of social media platforms, which allowed the rampage to be livestreamed.
Charged with murder
The suspect, a 28-year-old Australian man, was charged with 50 counts of murder on Thursday.
He also faces 39 attempted murder charges for those injured in the attack.
The suspect appeared via an audio-video link from Auckland, where he is being held in isolation in a maximum security prison.
Despite reports suggesting he would provide his own defense, the suspect was represented by two lawyers.
He was not required to submit a plea to the charges.
New Zealand holds memorial for mosque attack victims
Thousands in the New Zealand city of Christchurch have remembered the victims of deadly shootings at local mosques two weeks ago. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called for a global effort to end violent extremism.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Melville
Call for global action
At Friday's memorial in a Christchurch park, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called on her country to "be the nation that discovers the cure" to the irrational hate and fear thought to be behind the March 15 mosque attacks. But she freely admitted that New Zealand itself was not immune to such "viruses." She has won praise from around the world for the way she has dealt with the tragedy.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Melville
A nation mourns
Thousands gathered for the memorial service at North Hagley Park. New Zealand has seen many outpourings of grief and condemnation after the attack, and its leaders have taken immediate action to tighten the country's previously lax gun laws. Military-style semi-automatic and automatic firearms like those used in the March 15 attack are to be banned from April 11.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/STR
Singing for peace and harmony
Among those performing at the Christchurch ceremony was Yusuf Islam, also known as Cat Stevens. Islam, himself a Muslim convert, performed his song "Peace Train." "Our hearts go out to the families of those whose lives were snatched away in that evil carnage while they were worshipping at the mosque two weeks ago," he said before his performance.
Image: picture-alliance/Zuma Press/P.J. Heller
National grief
The shootings by the suspected Australian gunman also left many people injured. Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel called the atrocity "an attack on us all." But, she said, in the end a deed aimed at dividing people had "united us" instead. Services were also held in several other New Zealand cities.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Baker
Speaking of forgiveness
The service in Christchurch was also attended by numerous dignitaries, including Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Among those who spoke was Farid Ahmed, the husband of Husna Ahmed, one of those who died in the attack in the Al Noor mosque. He told the crowd he had forgiven the shooter because of his beliefs. "I don't want to have a heart that is boiling like a volcano," Ahmed said.
Image: picture-alliance/AP/M. Baker
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Mosques attacked: On March 15, a lone gunman armed with semi-automatic weapons attacked two mosques in Christchurch, a coastal city located on New Zealand's southern island. The attack, which was broadcast live on Facebook, targeted Muslims attending Friday prayers.
Stricter gun control: Earlier this month, New Zealand lawmakers announced a ban on military-style semi-automatic guns. Owners of such weapons have until September to surrender them. The buyback scheme is expected to cost up to 200 million New Zealand dollars ($136 million, €122 million).
Donations to extremist group:German federal police said on Thursday that the mosque attack suspect sent €2,200 ($2,490) to Generation Identaire (Generation Identity), a far-right anti-immigrant movement in France. Austrian authorities have also said the accused sent €1,500 to a sister group, the Identitarian Movement of Austria. The suspect also visited Germany's Neuschwanstein "fairy-tale" castle on November 30 of last year, according to German police.
