Once again, the Pike River families have been utterly听vindicated听in听迟heir battle to get a proper police investigation into what happened inside that mine on the 19th 辞蹿听狈辞惫别尘产别谤,听2010.听
Police have today again revealed that they鈥檝e spotted more bodies using the boreholes they鈥檝e been drilling. This time it was two or three bodies in a crib room area, which they听describe听as a breakout communal area where they might听have听been having a听short听break听when the explosion happened.
This is what, the third or fourth time that the police have spotted bodies听while digging听boreholes that these families had to fight to get done.听
And this time the significance is that for some families this settles the very thing that would've tormented so many of them of for nearly thirteen years: did the men survive that first blast?听Could听迟hey have been saved before the second blast five days later?
This is what听Rowdy Durbridge said today, he lost his boy Dan in the explosion, and he said: 鈥淚 can take some heart in the fact that what鈥檚 been seen confirms they fell where they stood and didn鈥檛 spend days trapped in there alive like some people have tried to claim.鈥听
Imagine the peace of mind that will be giving some of those families.
I know not听everyone听agrees that we should be听spending听money听on听迟his听investigation, or even cares anymore听about what this听investigation听finds, but that听is why I admire these families so much.听
Because they will know that they听probably听don鈥檛 have popular opinion with them anymore, but they fought the听authorities听anyway.
And man did they听have to听fight to get to this point.
A half-arsed听initial听investigation, WorkSafe听withdrawing听迟he听charges听against听Peter听Whittall, attempts听迟o听concrete听over the mine鈥檚 entrance鈥 I would听given听up by now I reckon.
I hope I never have to fight for something this hard. But they were right to,听because they now know so much more听迟han听迟hey did听even two years ago.听They've听found 12 of their听men, they know where they were when the explosion happened, and they know they听didn鈥檛听survive听迟hat first blast.听
This will give at least some of them the one thing any听grieving听family deserves, which is answers听and听迟he听peace听of mind that comes听from听迟hem.
And if police do decide later this year to听pursue听a prosecution, it might听give those families the other thing they may also deserve.
Justice.
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