Mother accused of killing her two children after their bodies were found in suitcases faces court to keep her name hidden
- A mother has been charged with the murder of her children
- Her two children were found in suitcases in August
- She is fighting to keep her name hidden in New Zealand’s Supreme Court
A mother charged with the murder of her two children fights in court to keep her name a secret.
The children’s bodies were discovered last August in abandoned suitcases in Auckland, New Zealand.
After an international manhunt, the children’s mother, 42, was extradited from South Korea and charged with murder.
The woman, who has pleaded not guilty to the two charges, faced New Zealand’s Supreme Court on Monday.
Her attorney, Chris Wilkinson-Smith, filed for continued suppression of names after Judge Anne Hinton refused to allow the suppression in March.
A mother, 42, has fought to keep her name hidden in New Zealand’s Supreme Court as she faces charges of the murder of her two children
The appeal was again made on the basis of extreme hardship and that the publication of the woman’s name would endanger her safety.
Mr Wilkinson-Smith alleged that Judge Hinton did not properly consider the health reports when dismissing continued suppression.
The prosecution rejected this claim, saying the report was taken by Judge Hinton at its highest.
Justice Anne Hinton explained that there was no clear test to prove that the publication of the woman’s name would endanger her safety.
“Though it sounds harsh, that’s the relevant test,” she stated.
“I have not received any evidence proving that [the defendant] would likely be seriously compromised by the publication of her name or that her safety would be compromised.”
Tania Goatley, the attorney for media publications Stuff, NZME, Discovery and RNZ, opposed the crackdown.
The Court of Appeal has reserved its decision.
During an appearance in court last week, the woman said she would prove her innocence if she were led back to her cell.
The remains of a boy and girl were only discovered after the contents of a storage unit were auctioned online to a family last year
The family opened the suitcases at their home when they discovered the remains of the two children. Police believe the children died years earlier
The remains of a boy and girl were only discovered after the contents of a storage unit were auctioned online to a family last year.
The family opened the suitcases at their home last August when they discovered the remains.
It has been revealed that the cases were moved between storage units at the SafeStore Papatoetoe facility in Auckland in the second half of 2021, but staff had no reason to suspect anything was amiss.
The children’s mother, a Korean-born New Zealander, was arrested last September in the South Korean city of Ulsan after the Korean Ministry of Justice received a request from New Zealand for her pre-trial detention.
Her extradition to New Zealand was approved in November, where police escorted her home upon arrival in the country.
She was charged with two murders and faced trial less than 24 hours later.
The identities of her two children remain suppressed by the coroner.
The woman’s trial will continue in Auckland next year.