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The Otago Daily Times
April 24, 2002
Man alleges abuse by Peter Ellis, others
Police widen inquiry
NZPA
Christchurch: Police are widening
their investigation into the latest complaint laid against Peter Ellis, to
include two other people the alleged victim claims also abused him.
A young Christchurch
man laid a formal complaint in January 2001 alleging he was sexually abused
by Mr Ellis and others when he was a boy at the Christchurch Civic Childcare
Centre.
The man, now 20, was not party to the original police inquiries in 1992-93
which resulted in Mr Ellis being sentenced to 10 years' jail for his
conviction on 13 charges of abusing children in his care.
Mr Ellis, who has always maintained his innocence, was released from prison
in February 2000 after serving seven years.
Police say they have obtained a legal opinion suggesting the similar nature
of the allegations made the possibility of fresh charges being laid against
Mr Ellis unlikely, given the fact he had already served a sentence.
Police child abuse unit manager Detective Sergeant Chris Power said police
were guided by that legal opinion, but other people may be criminally liable
in the case.
"He [the alleged victim] has alleged that two others were
involved," said Det Sgt Power. "An important part of our
investigation will be establishing their identity."
Mr Power said once inquiries were completed, the unit would make a
recommendation to police managers about whether to proceed with action
against any other individual.
The family of the 20-year-old, who recently married, have been advised by
police not to comment.
Dunedin author
Lynley Hood, whose book A City Possessed called into question the safety of
Mr Ellis' convictions, said it was time for police to "put up or shut
up".
"All this innuendo is just sleaze tactics on the part of the
police," she said. "Isn't it about time they responded to the issues
raised in A City Possessed , instead of trying this underhand way of reviving
the case?"
The book said that "moral panic" and parental hysteria led to Mr
Ellis being jailed.
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