The parents of the Weekes triplets who died in a mall fire in Doha say Prime Minister John Key has broken his promise to help get them justice.
A Qatari court found those responsible for the fire will pay blood money rather than do jail time.
Father Martin Weekes told Newshub this afternoon Mr Key has chosen trade ahead of New Zealanders.
Mr Weekes has been through unimaginable torment. Almost four years ago his triplets, Lily, Wilsher and Jackson, died in the Villaggio Mall fire.
Overnight, the jail sentence of those responsible was overturned; instead they were ordered to pay blood money to the families of the 19 victims.
"No amount of money would ever bring our children back, and the fact that someone might think NZ$65,000 is a great replacement for our children, we really want the people held responsible to be held accountable," says Mr Weekes.
He held out hope after John Key discussed the case with Qatar's Emir when they met a year ago.
"He absolutely assured me that he wanted to see justice done, that he is personally following the situation, that he is committed to seeing justice completed for the family."
Today though, the Prime Minister was more subdued.
"I don't know the details of the case other than the tragedy that took place, but I don't know the accountability of that," says Mr Key.
Mr Weekes says Mr Key is putting trade with Qatar ahead of New Zealanders overseas.
"If you want to build an active trade relationship with the region, and we're sending our citizens over there to work, how can you look after your citizens while they're there? How can you ensure they have justice?"
But he's resigned to the fact there's nothing more that can be done.
"I always expected that this might end up this way. But to have had to wait, to hope for four years to get justice, well this is just intolerably cruel. It's like death by 1000 cuts."
Now, he says, it's time to focus on the other loves of his life.
Newshub.
