Father of Kiwi killed in Ukraine says government offered 'virtually nothing' in support

RNZ News

30-05-2025

Andrew Bagshaw.
Photo:
Supplied / Susan and Philip Bagshaw
The father of a New Zealand aid worker killed in Ukraine says his family received no support from our government.
Professor Phil Bagshaw, father of Andrew Bagshaw, hopes the family of
Shan-Le Kearns
receive more support than they did.
"We got some support from the UK government. We got virtually nothing from the New Zealand government," Phil Bagshaw told
Midday Report.
"Both my wife and I hope the New Zealand government is more supportive of this young man's family then they were of us."
New Zealand aid worker Andrew Bagshaw, 47, was killed in eastern Ukraine in January 2023, alongside fellow British volunteer Christopher Parry. The pair were killed while
trying to rescue a civilian
from the Soledar region.
On Thursday, reports emerged that
26-year-old Shan-Le Kearns
was killed in Ukraine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it had not yet received any confirmation from Ukraine authorities and was urgently seeking information. It said the process may take some time given the situation on the ground in Ukraine.
When contacted about Prof Bagshaw's claims, a Mfat spokesperson said: "The New Zealand Government condemned the killings of Andrew Bagshaw and his British colleague Chris Parry in Ukraine in January 2023. For privacy reasons, no other information about the assistance provided can be provided."
Kearns would be the fourth New Zealander known to have died in Ukraine. Dominic Abelen, 28, was killed on 23 August 2022; Bagshaw, 47, on 6 January 2023; and Kane Te Tai, 38, on 20 March 2023.
Shan-le Kearns.
Photo:
Supplied
Prof Phil Bagshaw, who founded the Canterbury Charity Hospital, said at the time of his son's death, his family received lots of "confusing" and "very distressing" information.
"We hoped we'd get some good information from the New Zealand government but what we got was incorrect and unhelpful, I'm afraid," he said.
"We were told Andrew was killed accidentally by an artillery shell, when in fact, that clearly was not true. In fact, we got more information from his friends in Ukraine who did know what had happened to him."
Post-mortem reports found Parry and Andrew Bagshaw were both killed by
gunshot wounds to the head and other parts of the body
, rather than the initial official explanation of their death, which was that their vehicle was hit by artillery fire.
He urges Kearns' family to reach out to the team of people Kearns worked with, as they will be a reliable source of information.
Prof Phil Bagshaw expressed his deep sympathies to Kearns' family.
"You have good days and you have not good days. This is something that you live with."
Andrew Bagshaw in Ukraine.
Photo:
Supplied/Grzegorz Rybak
Prof Phil Bagshaw, alongside his wife Dame Sue Bagshaw, have always maintained their son was the victim of a war crime and they want it to be investigated by the International Criminal Court at the Hague.
"I can tell you we will not rest until our son's death is listed as a war crime which is held against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin in the International Criminal Court," he said.
"We've forgiven those who killed him but we do not forgive Putin. We want him to stand trial, even in absentia, for the death of our son."
"This war is a crime against humanity and the New Zealand government should be speaking out actively against it."