Premier apologises for death of Brit tourist
WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made an emotional apology yesterday to the family of a 22-year-old British tourist who police say was murdered.
Ms Ardern spoke about the nation’s reaction to the case several hours after the man that police accuse of killing Grace Millane made his first appearance in court. Police on Sunday found a body in a forested area near Auckland which they believe is Millane’s.
“From the Kiwis I have spoken to, there is this overwhelming sense of hurt and shame that this has happened in our country, a place that prides itself on our hospitality,’’ Ms Ardern said at her weekly media briefing, using a colloquial term.
“On behalf of New Zealand, I want to apologise to Grace’s family,’’ Ms Ardern said, her voice breaking with emotion. “Your daughter should have been safe here, and she wasn’t. And I’m sorry for that.’’
Ms Ardern said it wasn’t necessarily her role to apologise for individual acts of violence, but she’d sensed that New Zealanders were feeling a collective sense of shame over the case and that many were taking it personally.
Earlier, the 26-year-old man accused of killing Millane stared at the floor while a judge addressed him during his brief appearance at the Auckland District Court. The man has not yet entered a plea on murder charges and the court has temporarily blocked his name from being published.
Millane’s father, David Millane, travelled to New Zealand last week after his daughter vanished, and Judge Evangelos Thomas addressed him and other family members.
“I don’t know what to say to you at this time, but your grief must be desperate,’’ he said, according to television station Three. “We all hope justice will be fair and swift and ultimately bring you some peace.’’
As the man was led away from the dock, somebody in the public gallery yelled out “Scumbag!’’ Three reported.
The case has riveted people both in Britain and New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the suspect’s lawyer, Ian Brookie, yesterday applied for name suppression on the basis his client needed it for a fair trial, an argument that Judge Thomas rejected on the basis of open justice. Mr Brookie appealed, triggering the man’s name to be temporarily suppressed.