Relief as six bodies returned to families
Six bodies have been returned to the families of Christchurch mosque attack victims, while six more are ready to be released, after a day of anguish when authorities were criticised for the slow release of information.
Police made an announcement to family members gathered near Christchurch Hospital just after 6pm yesterday that the bodies had been released.
A police spokesperson said autopsies had been completed on all 50 victims of Friday’s attacks.
‘‘Twelve of the victims have been identified to the satisfaction of the coroner and six of those identified victims have been returned to their families.’’
It came at the end of a trying day for many families with some openly criticising the delay.
Mohammed Safi, a friend of one affected family, said: ‘‘The story they have been telling, day on day, on day, is getting out of hand.’’
On Sunday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised all the bodies of victims would be released by today, with the first release on Monday.
By the time a heated meeting was held yesterday afternoon, no bodies had been released, with police promising nine would be released by today.
Frustrations at this meeting boiled over when a person representing authorities said 44 families were notified of the process for the bodies to be released, prompting a large number of families to put up their hands to say they hadn’t been.
Authorities prompted further outrage when they changed the subject to government funding, a source inside the meeting said.
Tariq Mohammed, who lost his father in the attack, explained why tensions were running high: ‘‘Just you imagine what would happen if your family had died, wouldn’t you be angry if five days had passed and no-one had given their bodies? There’s going to be a lot of emotions, man. We are humans, we are not angels. We will have feelings.’’
In the Islamic tradition, bodies must be buried within 24 hours. Before burial, a sacred practice of washing the bodies, called Janazah, must take place.
Chief Coroner Judge Deborah Marshall earlier defended the pace of the release of bodies.
‘‘There is nothing worse than returning the wrong body to the wrong family . . .’’