The Christchurch mosque shootings on 15 March 2019 were the deadliest in modern New Zealand history and described by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as “one of New Zealand’s darkest days.” However, despite the unprecedented violence of the attack and the anti-Muslim rhetoric that surrounded it, the victims have been praised around Aotearoa and the world for their overwhelming strength, grace and humanity in the aftermath. Many of the victims were religious and community leaders who led public prayer in the days and weeks following the attacks and publicly forgave the killer.
During the killer’s trial and sentencing in August 2020, many victims spoke eloquently as they relived the trauma of the day, presenting their victim impact statements to the court and to the terrorist himself with courage, dignity and searing honesty, modelling a range of healthy responses to a psychologically challenging situation. All New Zealanders have been grateful for the victims’ calm denunciation of xenophobia as well as their steadfast commitment to a peaceful existence, and hope only that the sentencing and release of the Royal Commission’s Enquiry in December 2020 provided some closure on this dark chapter in New Zealand’s history.
