The only public sighting of the accused gunman since the attack. Photo / File
The only public sighting of the accused gunman since the attack. Photo / File
Our prison bosses have looked to the incarceration of Norwegian mass-murderer Anders Breivik when designing a way of managing the man accused of the Christchurch mosque shootings.
Two of those closely involved in the handling of Breivik's prison sentence have recently visited New Zealand for a series of meetings withthe Department of Corrections.
It is information which emerged from an Official Information Act request to Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis, who was briefed on the visit.
The Herald understands the visit was organised as part of Corrections' efforts to develop a management plan for the 28-year-old who faces murder and terrorism charges in connection with the deaths of 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch on March 15.
He is currently on remand in Auckland Prison at Paremoremo, where the Herald understands he is kept in isolation under the management of a specific Corrections team.
In coming up with a plan for the man's detention while he is on remand awaiting trial, Corrections is obliged to navigate New Zealand's own laws and international obligations over the treatment of prisoners.
In an email to Davis' office, Breivik is described as "convicted of committing 'lone wolf' domestic terrorist attacks in Norway in July 2011 in which 77 people were killed and hundreds injured".
Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Breivik. Photo / AP
Breivik carried out two attacks on July 22, 2011, after circulating a "manifesto" which attacked Islam and demanded the deportation of all Muslims from Europe.
The briefing to Davis said the Norwegian Correctional Services representatives would be in New Zealand for eight days.
During their stay, they would "share the benefit of their experience in working through the many complex issues involved in managing a high-profile offender involved in significant mass-casualty offending".
"Their knowledge and insights are likely to prove highly valuable in helping us to address some of the challenges we face in managing a specific individual."
The release of the email, and the context, was in response to a request for information relating to the Christchurch attacks and shows the "specific individual" was the alleged Christchurch gunman.
Further information from Davis' office said the visitors had "significant involvement in the management and oversight of Anders Breivik".
During their stay, they would meet with a number of managers and staff who were involved int he man's remand imprisonment.
A police guard outside the Hagley Park mosque in the days after the March 15 attacks. Photo / Michael Craig
"The knowledge and insights of our visitors, and learnings over the last eight years [during Breivik's imprisonment], will be invaluable in supporting Corrections' thinking in managing the challenges ahead," the documents said, referring to the period before the man's trial.
Breivik's time in prison has been one of isolation since his arrest on the day of the Oslo and Utoya Island attacks.
He is kept in a high-security area and has spent his time in isolation from other inmates with the same staff assigned to his management.
In 2016, he sued the Norwegian Government over his imprisonment, saying his solitary confinement was a breach of his human rights. He also complained about his freedom of movement in a prison wing with three cells set aside for his use, and his access to an exercise yard.
Breivik's case also involved claims about his mail being intercepted or blocked, the visitors he was allowed and the conditions his visitors were forced to comply with.
Police guard the house the alleged gunman is said to have rented during his time in New Zealand. Photo / File
Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Professor Kris Gledhill, a barrister, said Corrections would by law be required to comply with human rights standards when designing custody arrangements for the 28-year-old up until the trial.
It would include allowing him communication - which could be limited under certain conditions - and to ensure his incarceration pending trial was not "cruel, inhuman or degrading".
Gledhill said segregation from other prisoners posed issues because it was case law in New Zealand that a management regime with too much isolation was a "breach of the right to be treated with dignity". It was a finding in keeping with other jurisdictions.
He said there was also a duty on Corrections to protect prisoners from violence, which might force a regime of segregation.
"That means that Corrections has a balance to draw. In that difficult context, it sounds like a very good idea that Corrections is seeking advice from the Norwegians as to how to draw the balance."
The Office of the Ombudsman, which oversees prison conditions, has had no complaint lodged by the man and has had no proactive involvement.
