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Last updated August 7 2005
1995-0900 - Butterworths Family
Law Journal - Child witnesses in sexual assault cases
by Wendy Ball - Comments on the provisions of the Evidence Amendment Act 1989 which
allows videotaped evidential interviews with children, and notes the 2 common
challenges to such testimony: the credibility of the child and of the
interviewing techniques used. Looks at issues of contamination of memory and
contamination of consciousness, focusing on the use of anatomically correct
dolls. Outlines UK and Canadian approaches to interviewing child complainants
and discusses attitudes to the reliability of children as witnesses
1995-0821 -
Dominion - Bent Spoon for violence report
by
Alan Samson - A Justice Department report on domestic violence in New Zealand
is this year's winner of the Skeptics Bent Spoon award. Ellis Through the
Looking Glass, an examination of the Peter Ellis and the Christchurch Civic
Crèche child abuse case, was singled out for accolades
1995-0727 - TVNZ - Assignment: Ellis
through the Looking Glass
New Aug
7 2005
One hour report on the Ellis case, including Professor Stephen
Ceci, Prof Michael Hill, Crèche parents (supporters and complainants), Ellis'
co-workers, Winston Wealleans, Roger Keys, Malcolm and Mary Cox, Nigel
Hampton, Gerald Nation, Evidence from Karen Zelas
1995-0700 - TVNZ -
Interview with Professor Stephen Ceci
New Aug
7 2005
Russ Francis interviews Professor Stephen Ceci of Cornell
University, as background material for Assignment programme. Transcription of
Interview.
1995-0614 -
Dominion - Peter Ellis case entwined in book
A
child-killing case last century is providing impetus for a book about the
Christchurch crèche case and Peter Ellis's child-molesting conviction.
Dunedin writer Lynley Hood, a finalist in the New Zealand Book Awards this
month for her investigation into the social hysteria surrounding the hanging
of convicted child murderer Minnie Dean, said she had already begun
researching Ellis
1995-0610 -
WYSIWYG News_Govt Rejects Crèche Inquiry
Edited by Brian Harmer, “Government
rejects Crèche case inquiry”
1995-0609
- Dominion - Government decides not to hold crèche inquiry
A
Government decision not to order an inquiry into the Christchurch Civic
Childcare Centre abuse case has angered supporters of convicted molester
Peter Ellis. Attorney-General Paul East said yesterday that after careful
consideration the Government decided an inquiry was "not
appropriate". The issues had been adequately examined by the courts and
it could not be argued the judicial process had failed, Mr East said
1995-0600 - End Ritual
Abuse Newsletter - E.R.A. Statement on Ritual Abuse
ERA'S
view is to keep the subject of ritual abuse on the public agenda, to educate
and inform readers of its prevalence, and to discuss the diagnostic and
treatment issues that arise from it.
1995-0600 - End Ritual
Abuse Newsletter - Support from Sandra Coney
includes letter by Sandra Coney - ... brought home to me how much the media
coverage has concentrated on the perspective of those who wish to deny what
has happened and the effect that this denial has had on families involved
1995-0600 - End Ritual
Abuse Newsletter - Well orchestrated Crèche campaign
by
Sandra Coney - More heat than light
was generated when the media reported on the latest developments in the
Christchurch crèche case. The former women crèche workers who were originally
charged with offences have used the Employment Court decision as a window of
opportunity to attempt to relitigate all aspects of the case
1995-0600 - End Ritual
Abuse Newsletter - Rebutting the Apologists: ERA replies
Readers
may have also noticed Frank Haden's column in the Sunday-Star Times on the
same day that Sandra Coney wrote rhe column reprinted in this newslertes. His
reporting came from the other end of the spectrum, loaded with misleading
information
1995-0413
- Dominion - Interviews produce more questions than answers
A
former policeman on the Christchurch child abuse unit has added his voice to
concerns about the way allegations are handled. Phil Taylor asks how much
stock should we place in what the children say. ....
Children in the Christchurch crèche case were interviewed several times with
some who became key prosecution witnesses undergoing five or six sessions
despite overseas research showing the accuracy of information becomes less
reliable the more often children are interviewed. British guidelines, which
were overhauled in the wake of scandals in Cleveland, England, and the Orkney
Islands, Scotland, where hundreds of children were removed from their homes
after abuse was wrongly suspected, restrict the number of interviews to one
or, in special circumstances, two. "If you applied those criteria here
the crèche case would not have got off the ground," Mr Panckhurst says.
1995-0412
- Dominion - Why crèche workers won $1 million judgment
by
Murray Williams - On March 16 Judge Tom Goddard, in an interim judgment, ordered
the Christchurch City Council to pay $1 million compensation to 13 former
employees sacked when a crèche was closed amid allegations of child abuse.
Yesterday, in a supplementary judgment, he gave his reasons.
1995-0407 - The Press - Crèche
inquiry
Letter
to the Editor by John Dobson - The core problem is the well-documented
vulnerability to distortion and embellishment of recall by adults of traumatic
events in their early childhood, especially earlier than age five
1995-0404 - Dominion - Two
races, two laws
Letter
to the Editor by K Rabbitts - Perhaps Peter Ellis should declare himself a
Maori. I would hate to think a man could be convicted purely because he's a
white New Zealand male.
1995-0331 - The Press -
Inquiry needed
Editorial - An inquiry into the affair of the Christchurch Civic Childcare Centre
case now seems inevitable. The Employment Court ruling that the four women
were unfairly dismissed and the awarding of Compensation to them has shaken a
number of assumptions about the case. The public should be able to have
confidence in the ability of Christchurch agencies to investigate fairly and
to assess allegations of sexual abuse. Such confidence is now lacking. While
no inquiry is held an outpouring of comments about the handling of the case
by the police and the social welfare agencies will continue. For the sake of
genuine cases of sexual abuse the outpourings need to be staunched and
confidence in the system restored.
1995-0331 - The Press - Some
issues an inquiry could examine
by Professor Michael Hill - After the Employment Court
awarded more than $1 million to sacked Christchurch City Council crèche
workers it was suggested an independent inquiry into the crèche sex-abuse
case should be set up. Professor Michael Hill outlines some aspects of the
case an inquiry could look into.
….We are looking at the Americanisation of New Zealand culture. The
proliferation of counsellors, social workers, and therapists — expansively
funded by medical insurance or compensation schemes — has led to a cacophony
of fashionable psychobabble, even among those whose psychological training
appears to be rudimentary
….A review of the chronology of events which contributed to
the initial allegations in the crèche case will identify some of the areas on
which the inquiry would need to focus. The satanic ritual abuse (SRA)
scenario which played such a central role in the police investigation was
introduced to New Zealand counsellors and therapists by American Pamela Klein
in May 1990
….To complete the diagnosis of New" Zealand's moral
panic, and to provide guidance on how future panics might be avoided, an
inquiry is now needed. We need to be reassured about the expertise of those
to whom considerable power has been allocated in our society's desire to
protect children.
1995-0322 - TVNZ - Creche -
Late Edition
New Aug
7 2005
Police are defending their handling of the Christchurch Civic Child
Care Centre case, the Christchurch City Council is deciding whether to appeal
the $1 million compensation awarded by Christchurch Employment Court to the
13 former workers who lost their jobs from the creche
1995-0322 - TVNZ - Crèche - Network
News
New Aug
7 2005
Police defend their handling of the Christchurch Civic Child Care
Centre case in the midst of calls for an inquiry into their handling of it.
Christchurch City Council has to pay $1 million compensation to 13 of the
former creche workers
1995-0321 - The
Press - Abuse claims tally with list in book
by
Diane Keenan - The child at the centre of abuse allegations against four
Christchurch crèche workers showed all symptoms of ritual abuse outlined in a
book by an American therapist. A TV3 news item said last night that the
child's mother had read the book, "Ritual Child Abuse - Discovery,
Diagnosis, and Treatment", by Pamela Hudson, a California mental health
worker. In August 1992, the mother wrote to the police asking that Ms Hudson
be called in to help with the inquiry. The defence in the trial of the four
women alleged that parents had contaminated evidence given by the child
complainants
1995-0320 - Evening Post
- A case for justice
The
stain of being associated with child molestation has been partly mollified by
the Employment Court decision compensating 13 Christchurch City Council crèche
workers. The workers, all associates of jailed molester Peter Ellis, will
share $1 million awarded against the council for procedural unfairness during
the closure of its civic crèche in 1992. The decision by Judge Tom Goddard
has the effect of drawing together threads of public disquiet and in a wider
context should be seen as a cautionary benchmark for anyone contemplating
hasty witch-hunts or sackings when there are no proofs of wickedness
1995-0318 -
WYSIWYG News - Crèche Workers Win Compensation
Edited by Brian Harmer, “Christchurch
Crèche Workers win $1 million compensation”
1995-0318
- Evening Post - Childcare probe may be beyond Authority
Police
Complaints Authority Sir John Jeffries says he may not have jurisdiction to
investigate the Christchurch Civic Childcare Centre case. The Authority has
been called on to examine aspects of the police investigation on the case
1995-0318 -
Dominion - Payout decision 'hard for Ellis'
Convicted
child molester Peter Ellis would be hit hard by the success of the
Christchurch childcare workers in winning compensation for wrongful
dismissal, his mother Lesley Ellis said last night. "I'm glad for the
women but I'm also very sad. This will hit Peter very hard." The women
had suffered a lot and deserved everything they got, but he was the one in
jail. "They're certainly better off than he is."
1995-0318 -
Dominion - Council blamed for sacked staff's woes
by
Alan Samson - Sacked Christchurch City Council crèche workers were branded as
child molesters because the council handled the situation poorly, Judge Tom
Goddard says in his judgment. No amount of money could compensate the
workers, dismissed in 1992 amid child abuse allegations, for all the
horrendous consequences of their dismissals, Judge Goddard, the chief judge
of the Employment Court, says
1995-0317 - Dominion
- Ellis first to be arrested
The
first arrest by police investigating the series of sometimes bizarre allegations
of sexual abuse by workers at the Christchurch civic crèche was of Peter
Ellis in March 1992.
1995-0317 - Dominion -
Call for public inquiry
by
Alan Samson - Victoria University sociology professor Mike Hill said last
night that it was time for a public inquiry into the Christchurch Civic
Childcare Centre affair. He said the decision of Judge Tom Goddard cast doubt
on whether the alleged incidents at the crèche happened. Former childcare
worker Peter Ellis is serving a 10-year jail sentence after being convicted
of indecency offences. "The implication is that the allegations made
were sufficiently bizarre not to be believed in any action for
dismissal," Dr Hill said
1995-0301
- The Press - Memories triggered by events
Crown
psychiatrist Karen Zelas claimed that victims use "dissociation and
denial" to protect themselves
1995-0203 - Evening Post -
Worker says Ellis treated more fairly than others
Convicted
child molester Peter Ellis's dismissal from the Christchurch Civic Child Care
Centre was more humane than treatment received by other innocent staff, a
former worker says. Five former crèche workers gave evidence in the
Christchurch Employment Court yesterday
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