The bodies of six Christchurch mosque attack victims have now been returned to families, all 50 autopsies are now complete.
Twelve victims have been formally identified to the satisfaction of the Coroner, police said in a statement tonight.
Police said they are acutely aware of the frustrations of families relating to the amount of time the indentification process is taking.
"While identification may seem straightforward the reality is much more complex, particularly in a situation like this.
"Our absolute priority is to get this right and ensure that no mistakes are made."
They said they are working with the other six families in order to return the other six