Christchurch, The Indonesia Post – A Christchurch court judge, New Zealand, has convicted Brenton Harrison Tarrant, 29, who was accused of shooting 51 Muslims. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. That’s a tough punishment. Even very heavy. Toughest in all legal history in New Zealand. New Zealand does not have the death penalty, as in Indonesia. The death penalty has long been repealed. Although not sentenced to death, at least the sentence handed down to Tarrant will make it difficult for him to breathe free air again.
The man who holds the white supremacy has been found guilty of 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism.
While listening to the verdict read by Judge Mander, Tarrant’s reaction was flat. Even barely showing emotion. In stark contrast, the court attendees burst into tears shortly after the verdict was read.
“No, thank you,” said Tarrant in response to Hakin Mander’s question, who asked him to deliver a statement at the hearing as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
The sentence handed down to Tarrant may not be comparable to the dozens of Muslims killed. There is no way to cure sadness. It is impossible to replace the good memories that have been felt by the victims and their families. Including, for the family of Lilik Abdul Hamid, one of the victims who died from Indonesia.
Quoted from BBC News Indonesia, Irfan Yunianto, one of the survivors of the shooting at the Al Noor Mosque, said he was relieved that the sentence had been handed down. But there is still a lump in his mind.
“I am among those who were not injured, not shot. But the psychological trauma still remains to this day. Then there is also my friend who is currently unable to work because of gunshot wounds; not all bullets can be removed,” he said.
“Even if he was sentenced to death if the legal system allowed him, he still could not pay for the losses we suffered,” added Irfan.
Judge Cameron Mander, who sentenced Tarrant, said that the sentence handed down was not enough. He considered that the sentence was not commensurate with the heinous act of the man from Australia.
“The crime you have committed is so heinous that even if you have to go to prison to death, it will not be able to pay for your actions,” Judge Mander said, as reported by Stuff, Thursday (27/8).
Meanwhile, Tarrant’s attorney appointed by the court, Philip Hall, said his client was aware of the life sentence and had not filed an appeal.
Tarrant’s trial not only caught the attention of the New Zealand public. The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, also commented on Tarrant’s verdict. This beautiful woman admitted that she was relieved by the punishment. “It makes me relieved to know that he will never see the light again in the following days,” Ardern said, as quoted by CNN Indonesia. (ras/bbs)
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