Bodies-in-suitcases suspect appears in New Zealand court
A woman, centre, leaves to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office at Ulsan Jungbu police station in Ulsan, South Korea, on Sept. 15, 2022. (Bae Byung-soo / Newsis via AP)
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -
A woman who was extradited from South Korea this week after the bodies of her two children were found in abandoned suitcases made her first court appearance in New Zealand on Wednesday.
The 42-year-old woman has been charged with two counts of murder. She was not required to enter a plea during the brief procedural hearing at the Manukau District Court.
The judge imposed a temporary order that keeps many details of the case secret, including the names of the woman and the victims. The judge allowed it to be reported that the suspect was the children's mother, according to The New Zealand Herald.
If found guilty, the woman would face a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, although she would become eligible for parole after a minimum of 10 years.
In court, the woman wore a tan jacket over a black T-shirt. According to the Herald, the woman, through an interpreter, asked the judge if she could speak with him, before the woman's lawyer stepped in to say it would be better if she didn't, with which the judge agreed.
The woman left the courtroom after less than five minutes and will remain jailed until her next court appearance on Dec. 14.
The case horrified many people in New Zealand after the children's bodies were discovered in August when an Auckland family bought abandoned goods, including two suitcases, from a storage unit in an online auction.
The children were between 5 and 10 years old, had been dead for years, and the suitcases had been in storage in Auckland for at least three or four years, according to New Zealand police.
South Korean police say the woman was born in South Korea and later moved to New Zealand, where she gained citizenship. Immigration records show she returned to South Korea in 2018.
South Korean police first arrested the woman at a southern port city in September. The Seoul High Court then granted approval of her extradition after she expressed her consent in writing to be sent back to New Zealand. Earlier this month, South Korean Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon issued an order for the woman to be extradited.
The woman was handed over to three New Zealand police officers Monday evening at the Incheon International Airport near Seoul. South Korea's Justice Ministry said it also provided New Zealand with unspecified "important evidence" in the case.
"With the extradition, we hope that the truth of the case, which has garnered worldwide attention, will be revealed through the fair and strict judicial process of New Zealand," the ministry said in a statement.
South Korean police had said it was suspected the woman could be the mother of the two victims, as her past address in New Zealand was registered to the storage unit where the suitcases were kept.
New Zealand authorities said the family that ended up purchasing the suitcases and other abandoned storage items had nothing to do with the case.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Would you pay $300 a year for quick access to a nurse? Dealing with demand, Ontario doctors get creative
Paid subscriptions to on-demand care are among the many strategies primary health-care providers in Ontario are adopting in order to meet increased demand for access to doctors in the past year, while also managing staffing shortages.
Justice minister says he'll 'look at' federal policy restricting gay men from donating sperm
Justice Minister David Lametti says he will "look at" a federal policy that restricts gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, after CTV News exclusively reported on Wednesday that a gay man is taking the federal government to court over it.
Liberals table bill delaying assisted dying expansion to March 2024
The federal government is seeking to delay the extension of assisted dying eligibility to people whose sole condition is a mental disorder until March 17, 2024. Justice Minister David Lametti introduced a bill seeking the extension in the House of Commons on Thursday.
Why Delissio pizzas and other Nestle products will disappear from Canadian stores
Nestle Canada says it is winding down its frozen meals and pizza business in Canada over the next six months. The four brands that will no longer be sold in the freezer aisle at Canadian grocery stores are Delissio, Stouffer's, Lean Cuisine and Life Cuisine.
Six more weeks of winter? Here are the predictions of groundhogs across North America
Will we see six more weeks of winter, or an early spring? Here’s what some of the groundhogs (and one human) have predicted so far, from coast-to-coast.
'Dances With Wolves' actor appears in court in abuse probe
A former 'Dances With Wolves' actor accused of sexually abusing Indigenous girls and leading a cult must remain held without bail until his next court hearing, a judge ordered Thursday morning.
Ukraine's new weapon will force a Russian shift
The United States has answered President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plea for rockets that can strike deep behind the front lines of the nearly year-long conflict with Russia. Now Russian forces will need to adapt or face potentially catastrophic losses.
Former Wagner commander says he is sorry for fighting in Ukraine
A former commander of Russia's Wagner mercenary group who fled to Norway told Reuters he wanted to apologize for fighting in Ukraine and was speaking out to bring the perpetrators of crimes to justice.
As sexual assault rates rise, provinces face shortages of specially trained nurses
An assistant nursing professor at the University of New Brunswick says there is a crisis-level shortage of sexual assault nurse examiners in the country.
Canada
-
Migrant workers sneak secret menus into Canadian restaurants to expose exploitation
Hundreds of customers who scan QR codes for restaurant menus across Canada are being surprised by secret menus instead, revealing the hidden costs behind the food they eat.
-
Quebec's famed groundhog Fred la Marmotte has died; child stands in for Groundhog Day
The Quebec rodent who predicted whether spring would arrive early, Fred la Marmotte, died the day before Groundhog Day.
-
Shubenacadie Sam, Lucy the Lobster see shadows, predict six more weeks of winter
Two well-known animals in Nova Scotia shared the same opinion Thursday after seeing their shadows, predicting six more weeks of winter.
-
Extreme cold expected across central Ontario: Environment Canada
It's about to get extremely cold across central Ontario, according to Environment Canada.
-
TREND LINE
TREND LINE | Canada's health care crisis: Who's accountable, and how can we fix an overburdened system?
On CTVNews.ca and YouTube: Health journalist Avis Favaro joins our Trend Line podcast, for an in-depth episode dedicated to the growing crises facing the Canadian health-care system.
-
2 B.C. Mounties charged with manslaughter, 3 others face obstruction charge
Two RCMP officers are accused of manslaughter in the July 2017 death of an Indigenous man in Prince George, B.C., while three of their fellow Mounties are charged with attempting to obstruct justice.
World
-
Former Wagner commander says he is sorry for fighting in Ukraine
A former commander of Russia's Wagner mercenary group who fled to Norway told Reuters he wanted to apologize for fighting in Ukraine and was speaking out to bring the perpetrators of crimes to justice.
-
Militant who killed 101 at Pakistan mosque wore uniform
A suicide bomber who killed 101 people at a mosque in northwest Pakistan this week had disguised himself in a police uniform and did not raise suspicion among guards, the provincial police chief said on Thursday.
-
Kidnapper leaves bloody trail in Oregon, hides under house
After a week-long search for a man wanted for kidnapping and torturing a woman, police in Oregon found the suspect in a crawl space under a house on Jan. 31. He died shortly afterward from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
-
Austria expels 4 Russian diplomats based in Vienna
Austria's government said Thursday that it has ordered four Russian diplomats based in Vienna, including two at Moscow's mission to U.N. agencies in the city, to leave the country.
-
U.S. House GOP votes to oust Democrat Ilhan Omar from major committee
The Republican-led House voted after raucous debate Thursday to oust Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from the chamber's Foreign Affairs Committee, citing her anti-Israel comments, in a dramatic response after Democrats last session booted far-right GOP lawmakers over incendiary remarks.
-
Couple leave ticketless baby at Israeli airport check-in
A couple abandoned their baby at an airport check-in desk in Tel Aviv, Israel after arriving without a ticket for the child.
Politics
-
Justice minister says he'll 'look at' federal policy restricting gay men from donating sperm
Justice Minister David Lametti says he will "look at" a federal policy that restricts gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, after CTV News exclusively reported on Wednesday that a gay man is taking the federal government to court over it.
-
Liberals table bill delaying assisted dying expansion to March 2024
The federal government is seeking to delay the extension of assisted dying eligibility to people whose sole condition is a mental disorder until March 17, 2024. Justice Minister David Lametti introduced a bill seeking the extension in the House of Commons on Thursday.
-
Lametti says Tories exploiting tragedies 'to score political points' on bail reform
Canada's justice minister accused Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives Thursday of using tragedies such as the killing of a young Ontario Provincial Police officer 'to try to score political points.'
Health
-
TREND LINE
TREND LINE | Canada's health care crisis: Who's accountable, and how can we fix an overburdened system?
On CTVNews.ca and YouTube: Health journalist Avis Favaro joins our Trend Line podcast, for an in-depth episode dedicated to the growing crises facing the Canadian health-care system.
-
Ontario in full support of feds' national health-care data push
Ontario fully supports the federal government's push to make health-care funding contingent on data reporting, the province said Thursday as it announced a plan to boost access to primary care doctors.
-
Would you pay $300 a year for quick access to a nurse? Dealing with demand, Ontario doctors get creative
Paid subscriptions to on-demand care are among the many strategies primary health-care providers in Ontario are adopting in order to meet increased demand for access to doctors in the past year, while also managing staffing shortages.
Sci-Tech
-
After a radioactive capsule went missing in Australia, could the same happen in Canada?
After a tiny radioactive capsule went missing in the Australian outback, an expert in Canada says the likelihood of the same happening in this country is unlikely, given our strong regulations governing the handling of radioactive materials.
-
China says it successfully cloned 3 highly productive 'super cows'
Chinese scientists have successfully cloned three 'super cows' that can produce an unusually high amount of milk, state media reported, hailing it as a breakthrough for China's dairy industry to reduce its dependence on imported breeds.
-
Halifax university's technology to help U.S. find missing soldiers on ex-battlefields
An archeological team from Saint Mary's University will travel to France this summer to use ground-penetrating radar and other technology to assist a United States defence agency recover and identify military personnel missing since the Second World War.
Entertainment
-
'Dances With Wolves' actor appears in court in abuse probe
A former 'Dances With Wolves' actor accused of sexually abusing Indigenous girls and leading a cult must remain held without bail until his next court hearing, a judge ordered Thursday morning.
-
'I didn't know my sexuality was an option': Canadian director creates queer film for younger audiences
A new queer film about to debut in Toronto focuses on the positive representation of younger people who are confident in their sexuality.
-
Exuberant Springsteen, E St. Band launch 1st tour in 6 years
It's been six years since Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band embarked on a major tour. But judging by the first show Wednesday night in Tampa, Florida, you'd never know it.
Business
-
Why Delissio pizzas and other Nestle products will disappear from Canadian stores
Nestle Canada says it is winding down its frozen meals and pizza business in Canada over the next six months. The four brands that will no longer be sold in the freezer aisle at Canadian grocery stores are Delissio, Stouffer's, Lean Cuisine and Life Cuisine.
-
Tech sector helps lift S&P/TSX composite, U.S. stock markets mixed
Strength in the technology sector helped lead Canada's main stock index higher in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.
-
Food prices set to increase -- again -- as blackout on price hikes ends at some stores
Higher grocery prices are expected to hit stores across Canada soon as a blackout on price increases over the holiday season comes to an end.
Lifestyle
-
Canada Post honours Chloe Cooley with stamp for Black History Month
As Black History Month gets underway, Canada Post has unveiled a new stamp honouring Chloe Cooley, a young Black woman who was known to challenge her enslavement in the late 18th century.
-
Psychedelic churches in U.S. pushing boundaries of religion
The rising demand for ayahuasca has led to hundreds of psychedelic churches in the U.S., which advocates say are protected from prosecution by a 2006 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
-
'I didn't know my sexuality was an option': Canadian director creates queer film for younger audiences
A new queer film about to debut in Toronto focuses on the positive representation of younger people who are confident in their sexuality.
Sports
-
Young hockey players who fled war in Ukraine arrive in Quebec for international peewee tournament
A group of boys who fled the war in Ukraine arrived in Quebec City Wednesday for a hockey tournament that brings players together from around the world.
-
John Herdman says while he has got job offers, he is staying on as Canada coach
John Herdman is staying put. After a morning of speculation fuelled by a New Zealand report that the Canada men's soccer coach had agreed to take over the 105th-ranked All Whites, Herdman and Canada Soccer put out the fire with a statement Wednesday.
-
Connor Bedard shines at Calgary WHL game, leads Regina to shootout win
Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome was packed to the rafters with fans eager to take a look at Canadian phenom Connor Bedard and the 17-year-old did not fail to impress.
Autos
-
Edmunds: Why you need winter tires
A good winter tire will always outperform an all-season tire in snowy, icy driving conditions and be the safer alternative. Edmunds' experts explain the importance of winter tires and offer advice on when to use them and how much you should pay.
-
U.S. Justice Department seeks Tesla automated driving documents
The U.S. Justice Department has requested documents from Tesla related to its Autopilot and 'Full Self-Driving' features, according to a regulatory filing.
-
Will Europe's ban on Russian diesel hike global fuel prices?
Europe is taking another big step toward cutting its energy ties with Russia, banning imports of diesel fuel and other products made from crude oil in Russian refineries. The European Union ban takes effect Feb. 5 following its embargo on coal and most oil from Russia.
