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The
Christchurch Civic Creche Case |
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Peter Ellis held only a
5 per cent hope he would be released from jail on bail. Even that was dashed
yesterday when he heard his bail application was refused, his mother Lesley
Ellis said. "He's angry,"
she said. "He feels they're
just pushing us around. We feel like the minor players in this. The whole
thing has got so much bigger than just us." Ellis was sentenced in
1993 to 10 years' jail after being found guilty of sexually abusing children
at the Christchurch Civic Creche between 1986 and 1992. Mrs Ellis spoke to her
son after they heard his bail bid had been refused. She was depressed about
the refusal. "We didn't
actually think anything would happen. Peter held about a 5 per cent hope
something would happen, same as me. But when that goes, you just feel
down." Hope rose when the
decision, applied for last Thursday, took several days coming through, she
said. The next few months
waiting for an Appeal Court appearance to go ahead would be more of the same
thing she had gone through for the past five years, Mrs Ellis said. "Peter feels very
strongly about the creche and the children, and the fact they will have to
live with what they believe happened." She said he felt sorry
they too would be left hanging, waiting for the next court appearance. The mother of a child
abused at the creche said the decision to refuse bail was the right one. "It proves that a
trial by media will not pervert justice." It was hard for parents
and children involved in the case, she said. "It just keeps
bringing it back for the children. They need to be free of it being brought
back all the time. There are many victims here." She was also concerned
about a backlash against children who alleged abuse. "People need to
believe their children. No one wants to go through this." -------------------- CAPTION:
PETER ELLIS: refused bail. |
