Victim Support spurns donation from far-right figure Martin Sellner to mosque attack victims

Victim Support has now distributed more than $13 million to the victims of the attacks at the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre on March 15. Photo / File

Victim Support says it has formally contacted far-right leader Martin Sellner to return a donation he made toward victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks.

Sellner, leader of Austria's Identitarian movement Generation Identity, donated $1242 to a fund set up for the victims of the March 15 mosque attacks, Newshub reported yesterday.

It is understood some of the money indirectly came from the accused gunman, Brenton Tarrant, who had previously donated nearly $2520 to Sellner's cause.

On Monday Victim Support confirmed it had received the donation but said it would not be appropriate to keep it.

However under New Zealand law it had to offer to reimburse the donation before passing it on to another cause.

A sea of flowers and tributes at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens following the mosque attacks. Photo / Michael Craig

Today Victim Support said it had contacted Sellner to offer him the money back.

"We have advised him that Victim Support cannot receive this payment in good faith," the organisation said.

"We have requested bank details to return the money to him. Should we have no response by 9am (New Zealand time) Friday 5 July, Victim Support will pass the donation on to an appropriate anti-racism charity."

A Givealittle page set up by Victim Support raised nearly $11 million from more than 100,000 donors from around the world. On June 27 the organisation said it had distributed all donated funds - a total of $13.2 million - to the victims of the attacks.