Police defence further angers families
CHRISTCHURCH: A move by New Zealand Police yesterday to defend its decision not to lay manslaughter charges over the 2011 Canterbury Television building collapse in Christchurch despite ‘‘significant’’ design deficiencies has further angered grieving families.
Prof Maan Alkaisi, speaking on behalf of the CTV families who had called on Attorneygeneral David Parker to review the police decision, said last week ‘‘significant evidence’’ and critical issues were not considered when the decision not to lay charges was made.
Police announced last November it would not pursue criminal charges — a decision made after lengthy ‘‘complex, technical’’ investigation involving expert engineering advice, reconstruction and examination of structural elements of the building, excavation of the CTV site, plus legal reviews by the Christchurch crown solicitor and Crown Law.
The decision dismayed many families of the 115 people who died when the building pancaked during the magnitude6.3 earthquake of February 22, 2011
Police yesterday issued a statement in response to the families’ calls to review the move.
Detective Superintendent Peter Read, who led the lengthy probe, said police stood by their view that the decision not to prosecute was correct when all the relevant evidence and opinions were taken into account.
‘‘The decision not to prosecute was made by police after considering the advice of the Christchurch crown solicitor and the deputy solicitorgeneral and meeting with them to discuss that advice,’’ he said in the unsolicited statement.
Prof Alkaisi said last week the deputy solicitorgeneral did not appear to be aware of all the relevant facts regarding the decision and emphasised there had been opportunities to rectify design problems in the building, but which the families believed the deputy solicitorgeneral was not aware of.
Both of these matters were ‘‘expressly considered’’ by the crown solicitor in his report and the deputy solicitorgeneral in his peer review, police said yesterday.
‘‘Those matters were also addressed in the Canterbury Earthquake Royal Commission report, the Beca report and the police report — all of which were considered as part of the investigation and decision making process,’’ Det Supt Read said.
The statement acknowledged police did ‘‘fully agree’’ there were significant deficiencies in the building’s design.
Those deficiencies were all noted as part of the initial police investigation and by the Royal Commission and was also considered by expert opinions sought at the time.
‘‘However, the deputy solicitorgeneral and ultimately the crown solicitor and police considered the evidential test was not met,’’ Det Supt Read said.
‘‘Police concluded, and remain satisfied, that there was no reasonable prospect of obtaining a conviction in this case.’’
Prof Alkaisi was angered and disappointed by the police statement yesterday .
‘‘I wrote the letter and supporting affidavits to the Attorneygeneral, so I was expecting a response from the Attorneygeneral, not police.
‘‘I did not send any document to police, or the deputy solicitorgeneral, or Crown Law,’’ Prof Alkaisi, whose wife, Maysoon Abbas, died in the collapse, said. — NZME