The Otago Daily Times
June 25, 2002
Goff unmoved by book
Ellis still welcome to make application for mercy
NZPA
Christchurch: The letters keep coming but
Justice Minister Phil Goff appears unmoved on the Christchurch creche case book, A City
Possessed .
The 600-page book by Dunedin
author Lynley Hood throws the guilt of creche worker Peter Ellis into serious
question and points to flaws in the way the justice system handles complaints
of sexual abuse.
The book has sparked a flood of letters to Mr Goff, who so far has not found
time to read it.
Mr Goff has studied a Ministry of Justice briefing paper on the book, but not
sufficiently to expound on it.
Yesterday, through a spokesman, he said he had read the appraisal but wanted
to study it further before making any comment.
"The briefing document from Justice was just that and isn't intended to
be the basis for me to commence any new proceedings.
"However, notwithstanding the fact that Mr Ellis has had his case
examined by a jury before the High Court, two Courts of Appeal, and a
ministerial inquiry headed by the former chief justice, he is still welcome
to make a fresh application for the exercise of the royal prerogative of
mercy if he or Mrs Hood believe there is any fresh evidence not already examined
by any of those bodies."
Ms Hood said one of the main points of the book was that none of the bodies
referred to by Mr Goff had looked at the case properly.
"One of the important points is that the Court of Appeal is set up so it
cannot correct its own mistakes."
Its requirement for fresh evidence before a case could be reopened gave it a
good excuse not to look at a matter again.
Ms Hood said Mr Goff did not need the permission of the judiciary to pardon
Ellis and could do so if he had the political will and the moral courage.
"The whole point is to override the judiciary when it has gone off the
rails," she said.
Apart from the issue of guilt or innocence, Mr Goff still had to address the
shortcomings in the justice system the book exposed.
"Mr Goff has been seriously misled if he believes my book is just about
the guilt or innocence of Peter Ellis.
"If these problems are not addressed, we will all continue to be at risk
of having lives and our families and our communities ripped apart by false
allegations of sexual abuse," she said. -
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