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The
Christchurch Civic Creche Case |
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Mother backs convicted
sex abuser's stand Convicted child abuser Peter
Ellis will not accept freedom from prison if it is granted on the basis that
he is a guilty man. Yesterday he sent a
letter to the parole board refusing to appear for his first chance of freedom
from a jail cell in four years and nine months. The first his nervous
mother heard about his decision was when she got out to Rolleston Prison
yesterday morning to be his support person. ``He told me, `I can't
do this. It's an acceptance I'm guilty' .'' Mrs Ellis said she could
see he was at peace with his decision. She said she felt a bit
tearful. ``It's not nice having part of your family in prison. But he can't
come out and live with himself if he just walks out for the sake of
freedom.'' From her home in Ellis had consistently
refused courses and counselling offered in prison because a large component
involved addressing the offending -- and he was innocent, Mrs Ellis said. The parole board
hearing went ahead without Ellis and he will find out late next week if he
will spend his 40th birthday, this month, in He was jailed for 10
years after being found guilty of sexually abusing children at the
Christchurch Civic Childcare Centre between 1986 and 1992. His lawyer, Judith
Ablett-Kerr, said: ``Any release at this stage would inevitably mean a
release on parole subject to certain conditions. Such a release is not
compatible with his fight to have his convictions overturned.'' A petition to overturn
his convictions is still before Governor-General Sir Michael Hardie Boys. Mrs Ablett-Kerr said
Ellis had maintained his innocence since he was first accused. ``He continues to
maintain his innocence and, whilst he is most anxious to regain his freedom
and to return to his family and friends, he cannot accept that freedom if it
is granted on the basis that he is a guilty man.'' Ellis had made no
application to go before the board, she said. Mrs Ellis said her son
seemed calm and peaceful after weeks of nervousness leading up to the parole
board hearing. When she got to the
prison he said he had been speaking to Mrs Ablett-Kerr. They had gone over
the options open to him. Mrs Ellis said that
after she got over her surprise at his decision she agreed it was right. She said her son's
actions were very brave. Ellis surprised her in
many ways, she said. ``He was quite calm about it. The decision to do what he
did took a big weight off his shoulders.'' She said all her son
was saying was that at this moment parole was not appropriate. He would like
to wait for the petition decision. Ellis, herself, and
supporters wanted two things, Mrs Ellis said. They wanted an answer
to the petition and an inquiry into the She said she would
stand behind him the whole way, whatever his decision was. ``We all stand by his
innocence.'' Peter Ellis had a high
level of support from other prisoners, she said. He had gone back to his
Rolleston prison cell not just for himself, but also for other prisoners who
had been treated unjustly. He also went back for
everyone else involved in the The parole board said
in a statement that it was bound by law to consider the cases of inmates
eligible for parole who wished to appear before it. It would reconsider each
case at least once every 12 months. Gaye Davidson, who was
jointly accused with Ellis of abusing children at the civic creche, said she
was amazed at his strength. She was discharged from
the accusations levelled at her in court. ``The chance of freedom -- can you
imagine turning that down when you are an innocent person?'' She said Ellis's innocence
meant so much to him that he was not going to sell it short. ``He's stronger than I
would have been.'' She said her initial
amazement that he had turned down the chance to be heard by the parole board
had turned to acceptance. ``When he's done it, it's the sort of thing you
would expect of him.'' She said she could see
why he had done it. ``We all stand by his
innocence. He shouldn't be there. He should not be in prison.'' Ellis supporter Winston
Wealleans said refusing to go before the parole board was the only option
open to Ellis but ``if the parole board says he has to go, he will go under
protest''. ``The important thing
is the petition.'' He said there was
evidence to show the case was not conducted properly. -------------------- CAPTION: PHOTO: JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON Peter Ellis's
mother, Lesley, stands behind her son's decision to turn down his first
chance at freedom. |
