Christchurch mosque killer Brenton Tarrant was sentenced to life in prison Thursday without parole for murdering 51 worshipers in New Zealand in 2019. Judge Cameron Mander said that behind Brenton Tarrant's "twisted" ideology hides a "deep hatred" that has led him to attack defenseless men, women and children. "It is up to the Court to provide a response of categorical rejection in the face of such heinous wrongdoing," said Judge Cameron Mander in delivering the sentence unprecedented in New Zealand's judicial history.
"It was brutal and ruthless, your actions were inhumane"
The magistrate, who underlined the very heavy price paid by the New Zealand Muslim community, said that the author of the terrible carnage failed, however, to promote far-right ideology. “It was brutal and ruthless. Your actions were inhumane,” the judge said. On March 15, 2019, Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant shot in cold blood, in two mosques in this southern New Zealand town, 51 worshipers during Friday prayers, sparking outrage around the world.
He was found guilty of 51 murders, 40 attempted murders and one terrorist act, after pleading guilty in March. Prosecutor Mark Zarifeh said the carnage is "unprecedented in New Zealand's criminal history". "The offense was motivated by a deep-rooted racist and xenophobic ideology (...) He is clearly the worst murderer New Zealand has known," he said.
For Mr. Zarifeh, life imprisonment was "the only appropriate sentence" for Brenton Tarrant.