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Otago Daily Times
March 6, 2001
Goff receives inquiry's report on Peter Ellis case
NZPA
Wellington: Justice Minister Phil Goff has
received the report of the ministerial inquiry into the Peter Ellis case.
Mr Goff confirmed yesterday he had seen the report, which would be circulated
to interested parties before it was publicly released next week.
Retired chief justice Sir Thomas Eichelbaum had been due to report last
August but the time was extended to February this year.
Debate has raged over the case since Ellis's conviction in 1993 on 13 charges
of sexually abusing children in his care at the Christchurch Civic Crèche.
Ellis (41) spent six and a-half years in prison but maintained his innocence
throughout and refused early parole because it would have required that he
admit guilt. He was released in February last year.
Mr Goff announced the ministerial inquiry the following month.
Sir Thomas was asked to look into the matters that the Court of Appeal
indicated it could not appropriately consider, in particular to identify
current best practice for investigating mass allegation sexual abuse cases
and to determine whether those practices were followed in the Ellis case.
At the time of Mr Goff's announcement, supporters of Ellis were disappointed
that the terms of reference would not allow the inquiry to clear his name.
Sir Thomas is investigating whether the way the evidence was gathered against
Ellis was sound and, if not, whether the breaches were so serious that a
pardon was warranted. -
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