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Waikato
Times
November 17, 1997
Prejudice claimed in Ellis case
NZPA
More cracks in the Christchurch Civic Childcare Centre case have surfaced
after revelations about possible prejudice among the jurors.
It was revealed last night that one of the jurors knew the mother of one of
the child complainants who gave evidence against creche worker Peter Ellis in
1993.
The juror had contact with the woman through her live-in partner who shared
an office with the mother.
It was also reported the jury foreman, a Christchurch clergyman, had officiated at
the wedding of the case's lead prosecutor Brent Stanaway.
Commenting on the developments, Christchurch QC Nigel Hampton, who worked on
Peter Ellis' appeal, said he was somewhat alarmed by the jury revelations.
In such a high profile case it was vital to have an objective and detached
jury, he said.
Another disclosure was that Colin Eade, a police officer who took a leading
part in the investigation, had psychological difficulties and left the police
soon afterwards.
Some of the complainant children have now said Peter Ellis did not abuse them
but their statements are being treated as a symptom of denial.
The Appeal Court
rejected an appeal against the verdicts in 1994 although it dismissed three
of the charges because the complainant concerned had retracted his or her
evidence.
Key criticisms of the police case include:
Complainant children were questioned using now-discredited techniques which
could have led to fabricated allegations.
Ellis would have had great difficulty in committing the offences without
being detected because of the creche layout and the number of people passing
through.
The sharing of information and rumour among creche parents after a
psychologically disturbed parent made the first allegation late in 1991.
A spokesman for Ellis' support group, Winstone Weallans, last night called
for the immediate release of Peter Ellis. "This is a terrible injustice.
It cannot be allowed to continue and the authorities must take note and take
action, he said.
Five former colleagues of Ellis last night also demanded his immediate
release.
Dunedin QC Judith Ablett-Kerr is in the process of preparing a case asking
the governor-general to pardon Ellis who has served over four years of his
10-year sentence.
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