White Island volcano court hearings begin in New Zealand, as family calls for site to remain closed

Karen Griffiths rushed from NSW to New Zealand as soon as she learned her son Jason had likely been caught up in the explosion on Whakaari White Island.

Jason, 33, had been on a cruise with eight friends, including Karla Mathews and Rick Elzer who were also on the island when it erupted on December 9, 2019

But in the hours after news broke of the unfolding disaster, Karen and her husband Craig — who were at their Sawtell home, on the Mid-North Coast — had difficulty finding out if their son was safe.

“I saw it on the news and I just thought, ‘I hope it’s not Jason’,” she said.

Court proceedings against 13 parties, including three individuals, are expected to begin in the Auckland District Court today, as WorkSafe New Zealand pursues…