CTV victims' families seek UN investigation into 'breach of rights'

Wednesday, 16 December 2020

The collapse of Christchurch's CTV building in the February 2011 earthquake claimed 115 lives.

Families affected by the deadly CTV building collapse nearly 10 years ago are calling for a United Nations investigation into “breaches” of their rights by the Government.

The six-storey central Christchurch office building collapsed in the February 2011 earthquake, killing 115 people.

Last month relatives of those who died called on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to appoint “one or two” retired High Court judges to review the 2017 decision by police not to take a case against engineers Alan Reay and David Harding.

A royal commission found Harding, who designed the Canterbury Television (CTV) building, was left largely unsupervised by Reay – his boss – despite Harding's limited experience designing multi-level buildings.

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CTV Families Group spokesman Maan Alkaisi had a message for the authorities at the ninth anniversary of the February 2011 earthquake earlier this year (File photo).

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Maan Alkaisi, spokesman for the CTV Families Group, is concerned that the decision not to prosecute was wrong.

Harding was working “beyond his competence” and Reay did not review the design, it found.

At a media stand-up on Wednesday, CTV Families Group spokesman Maan Alkaisi said there was still “no justice, no accountability and no closure”.

“The 115 loved ones who we lost have paid the ultimate price with their lives for a deficient design and building that should never have been approved.”

The group was now writing a letter to the United Nations advising it was preparing a complaint. The purpose of the complaint was to seek an investigation into “apparent breaches of victims’ rights” by the Government.

Alkaisi said the manner in which they were treated represented a “failure to uphold United Nations values”.

The group believes the families it represents qualify as “victims” as defined by the international body. It also believes it can identify “significant breaches” by the Government in respect of its obligations under international law, in terms of respecting and protecting the victims’ rights.

Victims were perceived to be “polite” and “patient” and were asked to “just move on”, Alkaisi said.

“Whilst struggling with our overwhelming grief, we have been forced to understand all the technical issues, legal matters, professional conduct, responsibilities of various government officials and have even assumed the role of detectives.”

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