Auckland terror attack: Terrorist's beliefs 'not symptoms of mental illness'
Sunday, 5 September 2021
The Mental Health Foundation has rejected that the extreme ideological beliefs of the Auckland terrorist were because of any mental illness.
On Friday, seven people were injured by Ahamed Aathill Mohamed Samsudeen in an Isis-inspired attack at Countdown in New Lynn’s LynnMall.
Samsudeen was shot dead by police, bringing an end to months of constant surveillance and years of growing concern over his extremist views.
Three people remain in Auckland City Hospital in critical but stable conditions. A fourth person remains in the hospital in a stable condition.
**READ MORE:
* Auckland terror attack: Glen Eden residents shocked terrorist lived in community
* Auckland terror attack: Four remain in hospital, three in a critical but stable condition
* Heartbreak and support from Muslim, Sri Lankan, Pākehā and Māori communities after terror attack
**
On Sunday, the Mental Health Foundation said it was “deeply concerned” that many conversations around the terrorist attack involved stigmatising comments about mental health.
The foundation said half of New Zealanders would experience mental illness in their lifetime, and it appeared the terrorist had too.
“The man who committed Friday’s attacks experienced mental illness, and he experienced a lot of trauma.
“However, he did not meet the criteria to be involuntarily assessed under the Mental Health Act, and he did not meet the criteria to be sectioned under the act, so it seems his beliefs were separate to any mental distress he may have experienced, and this is important to remember.”
The foundation said he was a person who had “extreme, ideological beliefs” who also happened to have a mental illness.
“Both things can be true.”
The foundation said it was also disappointed that officials had attempted to use the Mental Health Act in dealing with the man.
“It should only ever be used to provide help to people who desperately need mental healthcare,” it said.
“It should never – ever – be used punitively. Mental health support is not a punishment. It’s a human right.”
As Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had made clear the man acted alone and the Muslim community of which he belonged should not be punished, the foundation said the same went for other people who lived with mental illness.
“We cannot allow what he did to sow seeds of fear that the people we know who live with mental illness might secretly want to hurt us, because the truth is they are far more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators.”
“Aotearoa New Zealand has come such a long way to removing the prejudice and discrimination associated with mental illness. We must not allow Friday’s events to undo all this hard work.”
Ardern has repeatedly said that government agencies had exhausted every legal avenue to keep Samsudeen out of the community.
The family of Samsudeen said he had been suffering from mental health issues.
“We saw his mental health got worse and worse during the last 10 years or so,” his brother Aroos said.
“He spent a lot of his time in prison and was always struggling with some court cases. When we heard that he was in prison in New Zealand, we thought it would do him some good but didn't realise he would spend so much time there.”
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said “the Mental Health Act was not used” in regard to detaining Samsudeen.
“Every appropriate avenue was explored to protect New Zealanders from him,” they said.
Where to get help
1737, Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor.
Mental Health Foundation 09 623 4812, click here to access its free resource and information service.
thelowdown.co.nz Web chat, email chat or free text 5626
If it is an emergency, click here to find the number for your local crisis assessment team.
In a life-threatening situation, call 111.