A court hearing in the US for detained New Zealander Everlee Wihongi has been delayed after she was reportedly unable to appear remotely because of internet issues at her detention facility.
Wihongi’s mother, Betty Wihongi, said the family travelled nearly an hour to a courthouse in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, for the scheduled hearing, only to learn her daughter could not connect.
“Before we got into the court building, we had a phone call from Everlee that the internet didn’t work at the detention facility so she couldn’t participate,” she said.
Betty said the hearing has now been pushed back until Thursday, May 28.
She said the judge attempted to organise alternative ways for Wihongi to participate, including trying to arrange a direct phone connection into the courtroom, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
