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The
Christchurch Civic Creche Case |
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Long battle:
Convicted child sex abuser Peter Ellis failed in a bid to win bail this week
but his long fight goes on.
Peter Hugh
McGregor Ellis, 40, is in the sixth year of a 10-year prison sentence after
having been found guilty of sexually abusing children under his care at the
Christchurch Civic Crèche between 1986 and 1991. In 1994, the
Court of Appeal dismissed his first appeal. In March this year,
Governor-General Sir Michael Hardie Boys refused to release Ellis on a
"free pardon", but referred his case back to the court. Ellis had
petitioned Sir Michael after allegations were made about the conduct of the
police who investigated the case. The campaign
to free Ellis gathered pace last November when a 20/20 television programme
raised doubts. In November, Police Commissioner Peter Doone agreed to hold an
investigation into the police handling of the case. In March,
Ellis refused to appear at a Parole Board hearing that would have considered
his release on parole. Ellis
reportedly said that accepting parole would have included an admission of
guilt, which he was not prepared to do. Ellis is eligible for another parole
hearing next March if he is still in prison. Ellis applied
to be released from prison on bail pending the hearing of his second appeal,
but yesterday's decision by the Court of Appeal means he will stay in jail
until his appeal is due to be heard later this year. His counsel, At his first
appeal in August 1994, the A High Court
jury in April 1993 returned guilty verdicts on 16 of 28 charges. The police
officer in charge of the investigation, Colin Eade, was alleged by television
programme 20/20 to have had psychiatric problems, sexual relationships with the
mothers of two children who complained they were abused by Ellis at the
childcare centre, and to have made sexual advances to the mother of another
complainant. Mr Eade said
that at no time during the inquiry was he involved in a relationship with anyone
associated with the case. In 1996, McLoughlin
said one of the most compelling points arising from the case was that despite
allegations Ellis had subjected children to horrendous abuse over five years,
not a single child had complained or shown distress until after the police
investigation started. A series of
factors had compounded to ultimately result in the system failing Ellis,
McLoughlin said. When the first
allegation was made against Ellis by the child of a sexual abuse counsellor,
the climate was ripe for panic, he said. Rumours had been circulating about a
Parents were
understandably alarmed and hysterical when the claims began circulating, and
information was shared as networking began, he said. The police,
who were being advised by experts who were telling them "believe the
children", failed to stand back and ask themselves how credible the
claims were, McLoughlin said. Social welfare
interviewers had used flawed techniques to obtain evidence from the children,
and at the trial the jury had heard from a narrow selection of the most
credible children, he claimed. Last month
Peter Ellis' mother Lesley said in an interview she had a "funny
feeling" that one day she'd be called on to go that bit extra for the
first of her four children. Mrs Ellis
visits her son each Saturday from 1.30pm to 4pm. Ellis has a
cell to himself at Rolleston Prison in Mrs Ellis
doesn't want her son's name cleared just because it's important to him, or to
her. What she is
concerned about most is the need to clear her son's name for the sake of the
children at the crèche when he worked there. --------------------
CAPTION: CONVICTION -
Peter Ellis, who has always maintained his innocence. He is in the sixth year
of a 10-year prison sentence after having been found guilty of sexually
abusing children at the Christchurch Civic Crèche. Sir Michael
Hardie Boys Judith Ablett-Kerr - Ellis' counsel. |
