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Otago Daily Times
Saturday,
29-November 1997
Ellis petition on Monday
Wellington: A petition to appeal against the conviction of Peter Ellis
would be presented to Governor-General Sir Michael Hardie Boys on Monday, a
spokeswoman for his lawyer Judith Ablett-Kerr QC said yesterday.
Ellis was found guilty of sexually abusing children at the Christchurch
Childcare Centre between 1986 and 1992. He has served four years of a 10-year
jail sentence.
A recent TV3 report highlighted possible irregularities in the Ellis case.
New evidence suggested a juror knew a mother of one of the child complainants
through her lesbian relationship with the mother's workmate.
The Court of Appeal rejected Ellis' appeal against the verdicts in 1994,
although it dismissed three of the charges on evidence that the complainant
concerned had recanted.
A spokesman for Ellis' former workmates, Winston Wealleans, said yesterday
Ellis was hopeful the appeal would be successful.
Mr Wealleans said he had spoken to Ellis in Christchurch's Rolleston Prison
in the last week and Ellis was continuing to plead his innocence.
"This petition next week will present an opportunity to have the whole
case re-examined.
"Peter has had four of the best years of his life behind bars and it's
been rough. We still want a commission of inquiry," Mr Wealleans said.
Five of Ellis' former colleagues have demanded his immediate release. - NZPA
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