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The
Christchurch Civic Creche Case |
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Five years ago, almost to
the day, a jury returned to the Christchurch High Court and gave guilty
verdicts against creche worker Peter Ellis. It was Saturday June 6, 1993, the
courtroom was unlit, and parents of the complainants wept as the guilty
verdicts were read out. Ellis has always
maintained his innocence, and the controversy about the case has never gone
away. The case enters one of
its final chapters this week as Peter Ellis continues doing his fellow
inmates' laundry as he waits for news of possible bail. An application asking
for him to be released pending the hearing of an appeal against his 1993
convictions was heard by the Court of Appeal last week. The court's decision is
expected to be released early this week. Ellis's mother, Lesley
Ellis, who visited Ellis as usual on Saturday, said her son was not building
up his hopes. His release on bail
seems unlikely. ``He's not too hopeful
and when I left he said `see you next week' and we laughed,'' she said. Meanwhile, he is keeping
busy with his laundry duties at Rolleston Prison. He
occupies himself reading and writing letters for other inmates, his mother
said. |
