New Zealand knew about the risk but released knife attacker

The man responsible for a knife attack in a supermarket in New Zealand had been watched for five years and jailed for three years before authorities allegedly could not think of a reason to keep him in prison. They had exhausted all avenues to keep him in detention, the prime minister said on Saturday.

Jacinda Ardern confirmed that the attacker had been inspired by ISIS, but was released in July and has been under police surveillance since.

On Friday, the 32-year-old Sri Lankan took a knife from an Auckland supermarket and attacked seven people, three of whom were seriously injured, before being shot dead by armed police tasked with following him. A court order prevented Jacinda Ardern from explaining why the terrorist was not deported. She maintained that measures were already in place to strengthen New Zealand’s crackdown on terrorism.

Although the jihadist had been found guilty of various charges, he had already spent three years in prison in pre-trial detention and “all possibilities of continuing his detention had been exhausted,” declared Ardern. She added that “risk mitigation” steps had been taken, but after the vicous attack, her assurances sounded rather empty.

Ardern said that changes to New Zealand’s counterterrorism legislation were expected to be approved by Parliament before the end of the month.