25 Sep 2023

Pike River families call for new corporate manslaughter legislation

From Midday Report, 12:41 pm on 25 September 2023

Families of Pike River victims are calling for new corporate manslaughter legislation after some of the charges against the owners of Whakaari/White Island were dismissed.

The owners of Whakaari Management Limited were charged with health and safety failures in the leadup to the volcanic eruption in December 2019 that killed 22 people.

The individual charges were thrown out in the Auckland District Court earlier this month, but charges against the company remain and are now being considered by a judge.

Some families of the victims of the Pike River disaster say the system of accountability is broken - Sonya Rockhouse is among them and spoke to Charlotte Cook.