The Christchurch Civic Creche Case
	News Reports
	1999
	Waikato Times March 8 1999 Ellis preparing for life outside jail amid parole, pardon moves NZPA Convicted paedophile Peter Ellis has yet to decide if he will appear at a Parole Board hearing on Thursday, a spokeswoman for his lawyer, Judith Ablett-Kerr, said today. The hearing will be at Paparua Prison, near Christchurch, on Thursday. Ellis, 40, has served nearly six years of a 10-year sentence on charges of abusing children at Christchurch civic creche. He has maintained his innocence and refused to attend last year's parole hearing, believing if he accepted parole conditions, he was admitting guilt. Mrs Ablett-Kerr recently said Ellis would not do anything that implied guilt. She has also petitioned the governor-general for a pardon for Ellis. A decision on that is expected before the Court of Appeal hears his case in May. The Parole Board has agreed to requests that both Mrs Ablett-Kerr and Ellis' mother Lesley attend the hearing. Mrs Ellis said she believed the board could give her son parole, even if he did not attend the hearing. Mrs Ellis said for the past month her son had been living in Paparua Prison's "Leimon Villas" -- units prisoners lived in while they prepared for life on the outside again. "You do all your own cooking and washing and cleaning, just as you would if you were back in the community."