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Sunday Star Times
September 29 2003
Pledge on creche inquiry
by Yvonne Martin
Alliance Banks Peninsula candidate Rod Donald will push for an investigation
into the Christchurch civic creche sex abuse case if he is elected to
Parliament.
Mr Donald says he is in a better position than most to call for an inquiry
because his daughter attended the creche until just before it was closed.
He wants an investigation to examine the way children were interviewed by
psychiatrists which led to child abuse and sex charges being laid against
five creche workers.
Four of those arrested were eventually discharged, while the other, Peter
Ellis, is serving a 10-year jail term after being convicted of child abuse.
Mr Donald said he had not spoken out before for family reasons. However, he
now agrees with former workers at the creche that a commission of inquiry or
ministerial investigation needs to look at the way police and other
government agencies conducted themselves.
Last week the Court of Appeal overturned an Employment Court judgment,
slashing the amount of compensation which will be paid to former creche
workers for distress caused when the creche was closed amid the sex abuse
allegations.
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