A man arrested and charged with abducting a young girl in Christchurch last weekend has been found dead in prison. The man was on remand after appearing in the Christchurch District Court on Monday accused of abducting the 9-year-old. Corrections told The Press the man was remanded in a prison health unit and was not in a double-bunked cell. Corrections' officers and health staff gave him first aid and called an ambulance, but he was not able to be revived. Prison acting general manager Claire Walls said an independent Corrections Inspectorate investigation was under way into the death.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 19, 2026 22:26 UTC