Victim Support today announced it is making a further donation distribution to victims of the Christchurch terror attacks.

The organisation will distribute $655,890 as lump sum cash payments to victims on the Police list.

The funds are made up of unsolicited donations the organisation has continued to receive, despite closing its appeal in June last year, and un-used contingency funds.

Victim Support Chief Executive, Kevin Tso, says the organisation completed its distribution of funds and closed its appeal last June. However, unsolicited donations have continued to trickle in.

“Victim Support is committed to distributing 100 per cent of funds raised to the victims. As we reach the end of our 2019/20 financial year, and tally what has accumulated, now is the appropriate time to distribute these extra funds to victims and uphold this commitment.

In distributing these funds, Victim Support says it is guided by the comprehensive consultation it undertook with victims in 2019.

“The distribution reflects the priorities expressed to us by victims at that time. As such, all victims on the Police victim list will receive a share of the additional funds in proportion to the total 2019 payments,” says Kevin Tso

Lump sum payments will be as follows:

When finalising its distribution plans in June 2019, Victim Support had no expectation of having enough leftover funds to support another distribution in 2020, and committed to transfer residual funds to the Christchurch Foundation.

With sufficient funds now available for a direct distribution, we thank the Christchurch Foundation for their cooperation to make this change to our earlier commitments possible.

Six victims have been shifted from the injured to present categories by Police since earlier payments were made. Victim Support will not seek reimbursement from these victims, but nor will it make a further payment to them.

“These changes reflect no ill intention on the part of these victims, only the inherent complexity of defining injuries throughout the investigative process,” says Kevin Tso.

“While I’m very pleased we’re able to distribute more money to victims, it is only a very small part of what we do.

“Victim Support continues to provide emotional support, practical advice and information to more than 400 victims of the Christchurch terror attacks. We’ll continue to do this for as long as we are needed.”

Payment will be made into victim’s bank accounts on 17 June.

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