Christchurch-terroristen Brenton Tarrant risikerer represalier fra andre innsatte i fengslet, går det frem av uttalelser som gjengmedlemmer i New Zealand har gjort overfor New Zealand Herald, som er landets største avis.

Gang members gathered at Hagley High School in Christchurch yesterday to take flowers and offer their support to families affected by the tragedy.

They said what Tarrant allegedly carried out was «wrong in every way possible».

Speaking to the Herald, one man said the gang members had gone to the school to tautoko (support) the families.

«Because they’ve come to New Zealand, they are part of us now. They are our people,» he said.

«That stuff that happened [on Friday], that was disgusting, there was no need for it. We’re a club, we do our things but, nah, that’s just wrong in every way possible.»

Another man told the Herald, «we’ve got friends inside too». He didn’t elaborate but the warning was clear.

Bruken av ordet «tautoko» tilsier at gjengmedlemmene avisen har snakket med, tilhører maorifolket, samt at det ikke er sedvane å nevne deres opphav direkte. Det er uansett en kjent sak at store deler av fengselspopulasjonen i New Zealand består av maorier.

Ifølge en kriminolog som selv har vært innsatt, må trusler tas alvorlig, skriver New Zealand Herald:

«Threats should be taken very seriously,» said Canterbury University criminologist Greg Newbold, who has spent time in prison himself earlier in his life.

«I would take that very seriously and I would say he would be in extreme danger.

«There will be people in prison who will be pretty angry about it, particularly the fact that he’s a white supremacist.»

He said the majority of the prison population was non-white and Tarrant would not be able to find any white supremacists to band together with, as they were outnumbered in prison and tended to «keep their heads pretty bloody low».

Man er altså i den for New Zealand nokså særegne situasjonen at islamister og kriminelle maorier begge kan ha et hevnmotiv overfor Christchurch-terroristen.

Tarrant, som kan ende opp med å holdes innesperret for resten av livet, holdes isolert fra andre fanger og er under kontinuerlig observasjon, opplyser fengselsmyndighetene.