The Christchurch Civic Crèche Case
	News Reports
	Last ◄ 2001 July-Dec ► Next
	Last updated March 19 2005 2001-1231 - Usenet - New Zealand Honours Awarded Humour …lighthearted …but with a serious message News of the day: Lynley Dodd (author of Hairy McClary series of children’s books) is given New Zealand’s highest honour ……Steve Bell writes - For one joyful but incredulous moment, I thought the award of Distinguished Companion of the NZ Order of Merit had been given to Lynley Hood. (Ms Dodd deserved it too, of course.) 2001-1231 - Hamilton City Libraries - Top Ten List A City Possessed is an unusual book in the miscarriage of justice literature and the Peter Ellis case is an unusual case 2001-1230 - Investigate Jan 2002 - A City Possessed January 2002, Page 80, Review by Michael Morrissey - Lynley Hood, an accomplished biographer, has focused her considerable talents on the highly controversial Peter Ellis case…… 2001-1230 - Woman Today - A City Possessed Summer 2001/2002 Issue 008, page 5 - Feature, A City Possessed, Review by Lucy di Maggio - Whenever a high-profile criminal case comes to court, we wonder: Is the person charged guilty or innocent? Will all the facts come to light? Just what is the truth anyway? 2001-1229 - The Press - Six Of The Best Six of the Best – Who made a difference in 2001? - Includes Lynley Hood), by Geoff Collett In November, 10 years to the month since the Christchurch Civic Creche case was launched onto its infamous course, Lynley Hood delivered what to many minds is the most compelling evidence yet that the case has been a travesty 2001-1228 - Otago Daily Times - Guilty until proven innocent by Dave Witherow – I have just finished reading a new book by Mike Kalaugher ......This has become a worry. Coming hard on the heels of Lynley Hood's monumental work on the Peter Ellis fiasco, it further erodes what minimal credibility still adheres to the police, the courts and the judiciary 2001-1224 - Listener - Letter by Lynley Hood Letter, Page 8, by Lynley Hood : “Ten reasons why state broadcasting should interview me about A City Possessed” 2001-1224 - Listener - Letter Doubt expressed Letter, Page 8, by Chris Wheatley - Like many others, I wonder whether Peter Ellis should have been convicted, for all the good reasons in all the objections subsequently raised….. 2001-1224 - Listener - Letter Unbelievable does not equate to innocence Letter, Page 8, by C King - 2001-1220 - Otago Daily Times - Letter to the Editor by Richard Smith - the Peter Ellis case represents one of the most disgraceful episodes in our history 2001-1219 - Otago Daily Times - Letter to the Editor by AJ Lemm - I challenge Mr Goff to consider the findings in Lynley Hood's book, A City Possessed , and have the integrity to implement a commission of inquiry or pardon Peter Ellis. The truth will ultimately surface 2001-1216 - Sunday Star Times - Goff needs moral courage Page A6, by Lynley Hood - Justice Minister Phil Goff (December 9) has misrepresented my position. I am not an advocate for anyone involved in the Christchurch Civic Creche case…..If the royal pardon is to serve it’s proper function as a constitutional safeguard against judicial mistakes, the minister must find the moral courage and political will to act when it is obvious that the judiciary has made a serious mistake 2001-1216 - Sunday Star Times - Back To Goff Page A6, by Lesley Ellis - The appeal court judges, far from concurring on the verdict, suggested the case would be better dealt with by a commission of inquiry. The urge for that comes not only from Lynley Hood, but from academics, coalface QCs, lawyers, journalists and the public in general. The ball is in your court, Mr Goff 2001-1216 - Sunday Star Times - Frank Haden Column Page C6, by Frank Haden; including a poem by David Hood - Once I admired Phil Goff. A most pleasant fellow to meet, …. Now he’s ruined everything with his blinkered refusal to read Lynley Hood’s book proving the unsustainability of Peter Ellis’s conviction. 2001-1215 - Daily News - Justice hard to find in a city possessed review by Jim Tucker; “Hood proves there is reasonable doubt that Ellis was guilty beyond reasonable doubt”.... It takes great courage to step outside mainstream thought and suggest it is not OK to distort the law, condone over-zealous counselling and police-work, and cause collateral damage in a quest to rid the country of child molesters. This is what Hood, a 58-year-old Dunedin scientist, writer and grandmother, has done in this book. It cost her dearly, by all accounts 2001-1212 - Otago Daily Times - Courage needed to address Ellis issues page 12, Lynley Hood responds to Minister of Justice, Phil Goff - ”Justice Minister Phil Goff has misrepresented my position. I am not an advocate for anyone involved in the Christchurch Civic Creche case. Mr Goff is being poorly advised” 2001-1212 - Otago Daily Times - Ellis case remains enigma of criminal justice system page 13 Judith Ablett Kerr responds to Minister of Justice, Phil Goff - The Peter Ellis case has never been "fully" considered by any of the tribunals relied on by the Minister of Justice, Phil Goff, in denying further consideration of the Christchurch Civic Creche case I found it highly unusual for a minister to personally respond to such an editorial, and can only assume that the contents of it had made sufficient impact to engender a reply. I would not normally choose to use Letters to the Editor as a vehicle to debate any case of mine, but I feel that I cannot allow the minister's letter to go without response. Your readers are entitled to know that the Peter Ellis case has never been "fully" considered by any of the tribunals mentioned in the minister's letter 2001-1212 - Otago Daily Times - Letter to the Editor by E.A. McRae – The wilfully blinkered attitude of Minister of Justice Phil Goff is well illustrated by his letter (8.12.01). The arguments with which he attempts to dismiss Lynley Hood's dispassionate examination of the facts surrounding Peter Ellis' case would immediately be dealt with by reading the book; but even in the face of considered opinions from many stalwarts of the legal community, he refused to bother 2001-1212 - Otago Daily Times - Peter Ellis - the system guilty? Page 12, Letter to the Editor by R.E. Mawson - ”To pardon Mr Ellis now is to find the system guilty, and I suspect that this is the reason for Justice Minister Phil Goff's reluctance to read Lynley Hood's book, A City Possessed” 2001-1211 - Otago Daily Times - Independent tribunal urged The Justice Minister Phil Goff should establish an independent body to consider claims of wrongful conviction from convicted offenders such as Peter Ellis, David Bain and Rex Haig, a leading lawyer said yesterday. The call came from Nigel Hampton QC, who lodged his second bid for a pardon for Haig with the Governor-General 2001-1210 - If Dr Seuss were Minister of Justice A must read!!! by David Hood - I will not read that book by Hood, I will not, will not, say it’s good …. 2001-1210 - North and South - Update 2001 : November Under the Hood Article, page 45, Summary of articles. 2001 : Hood’s Book A City Possessed – Lynley hood’s epic tome investigating the Christchurch Civic Creche child abuse case – shot straight into the top 10 New Zealand books on the Booksellers’ best-seller list on release in October 2001-1210 - North and South - Slow Readers? Letter, page 15, by Robert Hayward - the Civic Creche case has been put into the context of the criminal justice system, police investigation and child interview techniques and the history of public hysteria, I fear the problem has become too big to deal with. A fear that a thorough official examination of the case would open up a can of worms so huge that it could not be contained by anything - including the government 2001-1210 - North and South - At Last! Praise for Hood's book Letters, page 12, by Peter du Chateau - Thank you for November’s article by Lauren Quaintance on the Peter Ellis sex abuse investigation at the Christchurch Civic Creche. I am a retired educational psychologist with an increasing sense of concern and dismay at the outcomes so far and am pleased to see the justified publicity given to Lynley Hood’s new book A City Possessed 2001-1210 - North and South - Just doing her job letter, page 12, by Ros Henry - Your article on Lynley Hood’s book made interesting reading. The first part, an analysis of the work of an investigative journalist and the moral and legal issues she tangled with along the way, was absorbing. I’m afraid, however, I lost sympathy completely with the second part of the feature, which deals with a world with which I’m very familiar. I take extreme issue with your writer’s description of the role Anna Rogers played 2001-1210 - North and South - Unwarranted and ill-informed Letter, page 12, by Juliet Rogers - The unwarranted and ill-informed attack on my sister, in Lauren Quaintance’s November article on Lynley Hood’s book has, however, led me to change my position 2001-1209 - Sunday Star Times - Criminal Sacrifice Letter to Editor by Nancy Trevathan - No children or anyone else in this country should be able to be sacrificed to protect any system, let alone the criminal justice system 2001-1209 - Sunday Star Times - Ellis Trials - by Goff Letter to Editor by Minister of Justice Phil Goff ”Against Lynley Hood's view that Peter Ellis is innocent are the combined and unanimous views of the judge and jury who found him guilty; the views of seven Appeal Court judges who in two separate appeals upheld the conviction; and the views of a Ministerial Inquiry who found that Ellis' arguments failed "by a distinct margin" to satisfy him that the convictions were unsafe”. 2001-1208 - Christchurch Star - Commission Of Inquiry Proposed Page A6, by Guy Grant, “Commission of Inquiry proposed for Ellis Case” ”A commission of inquiry along the lines of South Africa's truth and reconciliation commission may be one way of dealing with the ongoing debate over the Christchurch Civic Creche case, says author Lynley Hood”. 2001-1208 - Otago Daily Times - Minister Justice writes about Peter Ellis Page A22, Letters to the Editor, by Minister of Justice, Phil Goff 2001-1208 - The Listener - Editorial : Whiffs Of Injustice Editorial by Bruce Ansley; “injustice is corrosive. It lingers. Only a public inquiry can resolve it now”. 2001-1208 - Hawkes Bay Today - Modern day witch hunt uncovered review by Peter de Graaf; “Whatever you make of Hood's conclusion, A City Possessed can only cast more doubt on Ellis' convictions and on our legal processes. But more chilling still is the thought of how little has changed from 17th century Salem to 20th century Christchurch”. 2001-1206 - Ind Newspapers - Methodology similar to that used against Ellis Feedback by Kathleen Murdoch 2001-1206 - Ind Newspapers - Techniques same as at Creche Feedback by Carolyn Lewis 2001-1205 - Otago Daily Times - Justice Possessed Opinion, Editorial, Goff should read Lynley Hoods Book 2001-1204 - The Press - A City Possessed Letter to Editor by Mary Baker 2001-1202 - Sunday Star Times - Get Ellis Case Right Page A10, Letter to Editor by Rob Mawson 2001-1202 - Sunday Star Times - Inquiry Page A10, Letter to Editor by Gordon Waugh - A royal commission should review the entire spectrum of the sex abuse industry, the Evidence Act, the nonsense of allowing “expert” witnesses and the assault on common sense of not requiring corroboration 2001-1202 - Sunday Star Times - Stubborn Goff Page A10, Letter to Editor by E.N.Williams – I am disappointed Phil Goff has chosen to ignore the research and common sense in Lynley Hood’s book 2001-1200 - Ministry Justice - Process for Royal prerogative to be reviewed The process for dealing with applications for the Royal prerogative of mercy, a safeguard of New Zealand's criminal justice system, is to be reviewed. 2001-1129 - Independent Newspapers - Ellis Must Be Pardoned Feedback by Kath O’Sullivan - After reading the alleged remark of Mr Goff, re the Peter Ellis debacle, I am beginning to wonder if he has turned into an ostrich. 2001-1126 The Press Front Page by Martin Van Beynen “Goff Should Read Book on Creche Case” A recently published and acclaimed book about the Christchurch creche case should be on Justice Minister Phil Goff's required holiday reading list, Peter Ellis says 2001-1125 - Sunday Star Times - Legal Calls Grow Page A2 by Donna Chisholm ”Legal muscle is gathering behind author Lynley Hood's bid to put the Peter Ellis case back on the political agenda. Hood’s A City Possessed on the Christchurch Civic Creche investigation provides a compelling case for Ellis' innocence of the child sexual abuse charges for which he spent seven years in 2001-1121 - The Press - A City Possessed Page 10, Letter to the Editor by Mollie and Gordon Seatter ”Congratulations to Cynthia Hawes on her closely studied and extremely fair review of Lynley Hood’s book, A City Possessed (November 3)”. 2001-1112 - North and South - They got it wrong by Gordon Waugh - Your article on Lynley Hood and her new book "A City Possessed" (November) was excellent..... "A City Possessed" provides adequate reason to exonerate Ellis and return common sense to a justice system misled by self-appointed experts. Ms Hood is correct. They got it wrong. Again 2001-1112 - North and South - Review of A City Possessed page 116, review of A City Possessed by Chris Bourke - ”The case is tragic because, apart from Ellis, hundreds of lives were damaged, families broken up, careers ruined. Yet still there’s a nagging doubt that the accusations were fantasy, a product of fevered imaginations fed by prejudice and zealotry”. 2001-1111 - Sunday Star Times - Abuse Doubts Page A8, Letter to the Editor by Joyce Gibson 2001-1109 - Evening Post - New Zealands J'Accuse Elric Hooper compares case with French Dreyfus treason case 2001-1107 - Christchurch Star - Book Packed With Fact Page B3, Letter to the Editor by N Sutherland 2001-1104 - Sunday Star Times - Creche Silence Page A10, Letter to the Editor by Robert G Hayward - 2001-1103 - The Press - Exposing The Flaws Page 20, Book Review by Cynthia Hawes “A City Possessed, Exposing the Flaws” ”Lynley Hood's entry into the fray with her well written and closely researched book is a brave stand for the application of objectivity and rationality, qualities which she considers to have been seriously lacking during the investigation and trial of Peter Ellis” 2001-11 - NZ Early Childhood Symposium - Dec 2001 Notice of Lynley Hood being keynote speaker at forthcoming conference 2001-1031 - NZ G P - Modern Day Witch Hunters Book Review by Dr Jim Hefford “Modern-Day Witch-hunters, A City Possessed” 2001-1030 - Marlborough Express - A City Possessed Book Review by Sandra Carson ”This book is essentially about the Peter Ellis case, but even if you don't care one way or the other about that, the book should still be read for its fascinating insight into our legal system, laws and bureaucracies” 2001-1029 - Evening Post - A City Possessed Book Review by Bernard Robertson ”The case is unusual because most miscarriage of justice cases are about whether the accused committed the offences, or someone else. In this case the question is whether the offences took place at all. The book is unusual because it takes in far more than just the story of the case. In particular Lynley Hood gives us an intelligent and astute criticism of changes made in 1989 to the rules of evidence for child sexual abuse cases and also of the limits, imposed by Parliament or by the court itself, to the Court of Appeal's powers to review cases properly on appeal 2001-1029 - Evening Post - Fresh Charge Unlikely Page 2 2001-1027 - Conference Paper - The day I almost went to Jail Australian Centre for Independent Journalism, 26-28 October 2001 By Lynley Hood, “The day I almost went to jail and other stories” 2001-1027 - Dominion - A Man Wronged Book Review by Dave Smith “A Man Wronged? : A City Possessed” ”with searing passion she has authored a cogent overview of what posterity might view as New Zealand's equivalent of the Salem witch trials……” 2001-1024 - Christchurch Star - Representativeness Letter to the Editor by E Watson 2001-1023 - The Capital Letter by Penny Pepperell: “The Christchurch Civic Creche Case” ”the book challenges the reader to examine how their opinion of this case (and everyone it seems has one) may have been moulded by the social belief structures of the day rather than the facts” 2001-1020 - Otago Daily Times - Ellis case book races to top spot on sales list by Marjorie Cook - Lynley Hood's controversial book, A City Possessed - The Christchurch Creche Case, has rocketed to No 1 on the best-seller list, two weeks after its release. 2001-1020 - Otago Daily Times - Disturbing insights in creche case by Gavin McLean - This is an important, engrossing and, as I said at the start, a highly disturbing book. Whether you believe Peter Ellis's innocence or not - and I am inclined to - it is worth reading and discussing for the wider issues that emerge. At a time when educators and parents are lamenting the poor performance of boys in schools, any ideological and legal barriers to males entering the caring and teaching professions should be examined closely 2001-1020 - NZ Herald - Lynley Hood A City Possessed by Sarah Farquhar - No other case of child abuse in New Zealand's history has held public attention so strongly and for so long as the Christchurch Civic Creche case 2001-1019 - Manawatu Evening Standard Page 14, Book Review by Mike Behrens - This book devastated me and certainly laid waste law makers, sexual abuse professionals, child protection workers, policemen, lawyers, judges, parents and any image we might have of ourselves as a thinking, caring culture immune from nonsense 2001-1018 - Manawatu Evening Standard Front Page by Dave Mahoney : “Ellis should receive pardon: Behrens” 2001-1015 - North and South November Issue by Lauren Quaintance - It’s over eight years since Dunedin writer Lynley hood began a book on the Christchurch Civic Creche sexual abuse case. During that time she’s been accused of keeping an innocent man in prison for personal gain, threatened with jail by the Court of Appeal and fallen out with her original publishers. Meanwhile, doubters said her 230,000-word magnum opus – published this month by plucky Longacre Press – would never make it to bookshop shelves. Lauren Quaintance reports on The Lonely Journey Of Lynley Hood - 0n the first page of A City Possessed Lynley Hood says writing the book "often felt like the literary equivalent of a solo crossing of Antarctica". "There were points," Hood told North & South, "where I thought 'this is too hard' but there were never points where I felt like stopping or that I had to give up or I couldn't move. At times I felt like I'd fallen down a crevasse and the only thing to do was to get out my ice-axe and ropes and drag myself up and trudge on or die in the attempt." 2001-1012 - National Business Review - VUW-Creche Book Controversy Page 2 by Nick Smith 2001-10 - New Zealand Law Journal Cover Story; Book Review by Ian Freckelton 2001-1009 - The Press - A City Possessed Letter to Editor by John Blumsky 2001-1008 - Otago Daily Times - 'Ellis case similar to US trial' NZPA - A woman, who headed legal teams that successfully appealed against convictions in a US child sex abuse case, says it seems to have striking similarities with the Christchurch Civic Creche case. University of Washington criminal law clinic director Jackie McMurtrie said repetitive interviewing of children, interviewers predisposed to finding abuse, and allegations "growing from something relatively minor" were among the similarities. The US case, in Wenatchee, Washington, led to more than 60 adults being arrested on 29,726 charges of sex abuse involving 43 children 2001-1007 - Sunday Star Times - Ellis and an abuse of justice by Peter Parkinson - A City Possessed should be compulsory reading for all the judiciary, counsellors, psychologists and everyone else riding the gravy train of the abuse industry. That we have got it so wrong for so long is beyond belief. Maybe now we can count the cost, take stock and try to get it right. 2001-1007 - Sunday Star Times - Ellis Innocent by Alex Love - Thank-you Lynley Hood 2001-1007 - Sunday Star Times - Justice Denied by Gordon Waugh - Lynley Hood's new book on the Peter Ellis case crystallises the problems underlying the sex abuse industry. Ellis and his co-workers were denied justice to save the reputations of people predisposed to believe sexual abuse fantasies and conspiracies 2001-1007 - Sunday Star Times - Old Coals by Brian Hartley - …..one has to wonder if revisiting the past in this instance may be decidedly more harmful than helpful given the controversy and highly-charged emotion….. 2001-1007 - Sunday Star Times - Hoodwinked? by M Hallam - Lynley Hood invokes "and of course no inmate laid a finger on him in prison" as a "pointer to Ellis' innocence". …….I've heard of jumping to conclusions, but Hood's logical leaps are in the realm of extreme sport. 2001-1007 - Sunday Star Times - Abuse Epidemic by Ken Clearwater - ….. It is known that one in four girls will be sexually abused in this country before their 16th birthday. There are now figures coming through that the number of boys is the same as girls. …….It is also important that people realise there are cases of ritual abuse in this country. There should be an immediate inquiry into the sexual abuse of children in New Zealand. 2001-1005 - Otago Daily Times - Ellis Claims Not Moving Officials Page 3 by Joanna Norris 2001-1004 - New Zealand Lawyer - A City Possessed Page 21 Book Review by Ian Freckelton 2001-1003 - The Press - A date in court The following is a second extract from Lynley Hood's book, A City Possessed: The Christchurch Civic Creche Case. Complainant families, and creche workers who were not arrested, had their identities suppressed by court order. They appear in the book under pseudonyms. 2001-1003 - Christchurch Star - Book Like A Royal Commission Page A3 by Donna Birkett - Former Christchurch Civic [Childcare Centre] worker Peter Ellis ... is finding the new book about his case to be like a royal commission of inquiry in itself. 2001-1003 - Christchurch Star - Concern For Families Fron Page by Amanda Breukelaar 2001-1003 - Christchurch Star - Outsider Needs To Review Front Page by Stacey Doornenbal 2001-1002 - Otago Daily Times - Positive reaction to book by Craig Page - Dunedin author Lynley Hood has had nothing but support following yesterday's release of her controversial book about convicted child abuser Peter Ellis. "Everybody has been extremely positive. People are saying good on you. It's about time the truth came out," Ms Hood said last night at the book's launch in Dunedin. 2001-1002 - The Press - City Possessed Again Page 5 by Rachel Walsh 2001-1002 - Otago Daily Times - Author Pleased “Author Pleased with Support for Book” 2001-1001 - Otago Daily Times - Shortage of evidence of Ellis' guilt, author says by Kay Sinclair - Dunedin author Lynley Hood believes there is evidence pointing to the innocence of Peter Ellis, quite apart from the lack of evidence of his guilt. She did not start investigating the Christchurch Civic Creche case to prove Ellis was innocent but rather to find out what did or did not happen, Ms Hood told the Otago Daily Times . However, by the end of seven years of research and writing, what she found convinced her the whole case had been "constructed out of thin air". 2001-1001 - Otago Daily Times - 'No evidence' of illegality at creche by Kay Sinclair - Child abuse is a major folk tale theme. In countless spine-chilling stories, children are eaten by animals, murdered by stepmothers, cooked by witches and abandoned by uncaring parents. Dunedin author Lynley Hood spent more than seven years researching the Christchurch Civic Child Care Centre case. Her conclusions on why Peter Ellis and four female colleagues were charged with sexually abusing children at the creche are the subject of a controversial new work, A City Possessed. 2001-1001 - Otago Daily Times - Hopes of new material in book on Ellis by Joanna Norris - Convicted child-abuser Peter Ellis had been cautiously looking forward to the release today of a book investigating his case and was hopeful his name could be cleared, his lawyer said last night. The debate on the conviction of Ellis for sexually abusing seven children is expected to once again gain momentum today, when the book on his case by Dunedin author Lynley Hood hits booksellers' shelves 2001-1001 - Southland Times - Hoods painful quest for truth by Rosemarie Smith - ”The book will undoubtedly cause pain to many of those at the centre of the case but it is vital that the issues are understood and seriously debated. If nothing else, Hood seems to have given us all access to a body of evidence to conduct an informed debate. For if Peter Ellis was wrongly convicted, and the system cannot self- correct, none of us is safe before the law” 2001-1001 - Otago Daily Times - Book may change way.... by Kay Sinclair “Book may change way child abuse cases are dealt with. Dunedin law professor Mark Henaghan believes Lynley Hood's study of the Christchurch Civic Creche case could lead to some reassessing of decision-making processes relating to child sexual abuse cases.One of the most important things A City Possessed did was question the processes relating to expert evidence on whether children's behaviours were consistent with sexual abuse, Prof Henaghan told the Otago Daily Times last week 2001-1001 - Dominion - Christchurch ripe for more abuse cases Page 2 by Alan Samson – The "snobbery" of Christchurch and the messianic zeal of some of its citizens were an almost inevitable spawning ground for false charges against Peter Ellis, the author of the first book on the 1993 child abuse case says. Speaking before publication of A City Possessed, Lynley Hood said Christchurch in particular was ripe for another creche case. It was "no surprise" "bizarre" claims against Ellis arose in Christchurch. 2001-1001 - The Press - Writer Ready for Backlash Front Page by Jarrod Booker - Lynley Hood is bracing herself for an angry backlash as her controversial book on the Christchurch civic creche sex abuse case hits the shelves today. The Dunedin author said that her findings, documented in A City Possessed, would raise serious doubt over the abuse convictions of creche worker Peter Ellis and the workings of the justice system as a whole. 2001-0930 - Sunday Star Times - Book Sparks Call Front Page by Donna Chisholm : Book Sparks Call to Pardon Ellis – An author who has spent seven years researching the Peter Ellis case has called for the government to pardon Ellis and set up a commission of inquiry into the criminal justice system. Lynley Hood's book A City Possessed, on the Christchurch Civic Creche case which saw Ellis sentenced to 10 years' jail in 1993 for sexually abusing seven children concludes he was the victim of a city's moral panic. 2001-0930 - Sunday Star Times - Ellis In Blunderland Page C5-6 by Donna Chisholm - A new book on the Peter Ellis case concludes he was the innocent victim of a city in the grip of mass hysteria. Open Lynley Hood's latest book like an onion and peel back layer after layer of injustice. Read it and weep. Put the cops in the Peter Ellis case on trial, along with the sex abuse industry, social welfare, and the judiciary and return the verdicts. Guilty, guilty, guilty. And Ellis? Convict him of having a big mouth and long fingernails. But sexually abusing kids? No way. 2001-0929 - The Press - Creche view 10 years on by Martin Van Beynen - A new book on the Christchurch Civic Creche case has taken seven years of research by an award- winning author. Will it do anything to dispel the murky shadow of doubt that still lingers over events at the childcare centre? Nearly 10 years after the allegation that set in train the Christchurch Civic Creche case, Peter Ellis will be queuing up with everybody else to buy A City Possessed. The book, released for sale next week, will cover the case's tortured and tortuous developments over a decade in author Lynley Hood's trademark meticulously detailed and analytical style. Seven years in the research and writing, the book has come too late to influence the main official decisions about the case but, depending on its contents, there are hopes in some quarters that it might still clear Ellis's name. 2001-0929 - The Press - Old Scars by Staff Reporters - Police are refusing to be drawn on the status of their investigations into a new complaint laid against Peter Ellis. A 20-year-old Christchurch man has approached the police with allegations that he was sexually abused by Ellis when he was a young boy at the Christchurch Civic Childcare Centre. 2001-0929 - The Press - Unlikely to Disappoint Feature article by Martin Van Beynen - After seven years of waiting for Lynley Hood's A City Possessed, writes Martin van Beynen, many will be expecting a monumental book. Given her previous books, Hood – a reserved woman with a formidable intellect and indefatigible capacity for work – is unlikely to disappoint. 2001-0929 - The Press - Last Word by Martin Van Beynen - A new book on the Christchurch Civic Creche case has taken seven years of research by an award-winning author. Will it do anything to dispel the murky shadow of doubt that still lingers over events at the childcare centre? 2001-0928 - TV One News - Creche case back in Public Arena The Christchurch Civic Creche case is about to come under new scrutiny in a book being launched on Monday. And people who have read the proof of the book say it is set to reopen old wounds. The launch comes at a time when police are close to deciding whether to proceed with a new charge against convicted paedophile Peter Ellis 2001-0921 - Otago Daily Times - Third World justice in New Zealand by Dave Witherow - The Peter Ellis saga was another demented demonstration of comprehensive legal dysfunction. Its demonisation of Ellis, through a welter of conflicting "evidence", should persuade all sensible people to avoid like the plague anyone in the least associated with the psychiatric professions. A true 20th century witch-hunt (complete with fictional witches), the scapegoat conviction of Ellis tainted everyone involved in it, from the amenable police, right through to the frantic parents - who still somehow manage to believe that their little darlings were repeatedly and spectacularly debauched in full view of the passing public 2001-0813 - Waikato University - The Crucible The advertisement clearly shows that the “Peter Ellis experience” is widely understood to be an experience of injustice, in the same way that Salem 1692, and the McCarthy hearings in America are also now considered 2001-0726 - Otago Daily Times - Ellis inquiry cost much less than $500,000 stated The ministerial inquiry into aspects of the Christchurch Civic Creche case cost less than a third of the $500,000 that Justice Minister Phil Goff stated when he made its report public in March, The Dominion reported this week. Mr Goff revealed under the Official Information Act that the cost was $148,878. Former creche worker Peter Ellis, who says he is innocent of charges that he sexually abused creche children, accused Mr Goff of besmirching him by making the $500,000 claim 2001-0725 - Waikato Times - Ellis inquiry costs less than claimed NZPA - The ministerial inquiry into aspects of the Christchurch Civic Creche case cost less than a third of the $500,000 that Justice Minister Phil Goff stated when he made its report public in March. 2001-0724 - Dominion - Creche inquiry cost less than Goff budgeted by David McLoughlin - The ministerial inquiry into aspects of the Christchurch Civic Creche case cost less than a third of the $500,000 that Justice Minister Phil Goff stated when he made its report public in March. Mr Goff revealed under the Official Information Act that the cost was $148,879. Former creche worker Peter Ellis, who says he is innocent of charges that he sexually abused creche children, accused Mr Goff yesterday of besmirching him by making the $500,000 claim 2001-0712 - Marlborough Express - New wave of innocence Editorial - A new wave of convicted criminals declaring their innocence can be expected in the wake of David Dougherty yesterday being paid almost $870,000 in compensation. He also got a public apology for three and a half years he spent in prison for a crime he did not commit. ……..There seems an increasing trend for someone to take up the cudgels on behalf of people convicted of high profile crimes. Joe Karam has become a tireless campaigner on behalf of David Bain, convicted of murdering his Dunedin family; Peter Ellis had a staunch support group in his efforts to clear his name in the Christchurch créche sex abuse case.