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The
Christchurch Civic Creche Case |
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Convicted child abuser Peter
Ellis has won his petition to have his case considered by the Court of
Appeal. His lawyer, Judith
Ablett-Kerr, last night said she and Ellis were "over the moon". Mrs Ablett-Kerr said it
had happened less than 10 times in New Zealand's legal history that someone
in circumstances similar to Ellis had been allowed to appeal. "This is
huge." Justice Minister Doug
Graham announced yesterday that Governor-General Sir Michael Hardie Boys had
referred Ellis' convictions for sexually abusing children to the Appeal Court
for further consideration. Ellis, who turns 40 on
Monday, has been in prison for four years and nine months since being
sentenced to 10 years' jail for abusing children at the Christchurch civic
creche. The petition to the
Governor-General asked for Ellis to be pardoned or for the case to be
referred back to court. "He's delighted.
He's over the moon," Mrs Ablett-Kerr said of Ellis. "I was
particularly pleased for Peter that he would now have the opportunity to clear
his name in open court." Ellis' appeal would
hopefully take place around June, maybe in Wellington, Mrs Ablett-Kerr said.
She would discuss the possibility of bail with Ellis today when she saw him
in Christchurch. "Constitutionally
the referral back to the Court of Appeal is something that's desirable from
the point of view of letting everyone know what's happening." She said if Ellis had
obtained a pardon no one would have known why. "That's the
attraction of going back to the Court of Appeal." Ellis' mother Lesley
also preferred the option of going back to court to prove her son's innocence
rather than being pardoned. "A
pardon implies guilt. You don't get pardoned for doing nothing." |
