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Sunday Star Times
August 11 1996
Madness in Ellis case
Letter to the Editor
by G Waugh, Auckland
Unlike S. Lelievre (August 4), I
applaud your editorial stance on the Peter Ellis case. The
"madness" he asks about permeates our society.
A reasoned view of the Ellis case suggests that had the jury been exposed to
the full range of evidence, progression of the children's stories from
ordinary events to impossible, excruciating torture, would have been obvious.
Prosecution credibility and objectivity fell on their own swords because they
ignored commonsense and reason, not because of Christianity or "standard
liberal tactics".
Little children were subjected to repeated interviews over extended periods
by misguided, zealous and poorly trained sex abuse counsellors, who took
their belief systems to extremes to find abuse where none existed.
The children are victims of counselling abuse, not sexual abuse.
Uncorroborated and imaginative "evidence" by frightened children is
the very essence of past witch trials.
That police, judge and prosecution got caught up in the iatrogenic (disease
caused by medical treatment) fantasies of little children and
counsellor-speak, is the madness. "Christian leanings" would have
served justice better.
Society in general, and the children and Ellis in particular, would benefit
from Mr Lelievre channelling his religious passion to help undo the madness.
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