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The Dominion Post
July 20, 2002
Fresh crèche abuse claims
by David McLoughlin
Police want to talk to Peter Ellis about fresh allegations of sexual
abuse of children dating from the time he worked at the Christchurch Civic Crèche
more than a decade ago.
Two detectives visited Ellis at his Christchurch
home on Wednesday evening to ask him to arrange a time for him and lawyer
Judith Ablett-Kerr, QC, to see them at the police station.
It is understood the allegations come from a person in their late teens who
attended the crèche while Ellis worked there between 1986 and 1991 and who
has since been in therapy.
The police move comes on the eve of Dunedin
writer Lynley Hood's book on the case, A City Possessed, being a prime
contender for a Montana book awards prize at
a ceremony in Auckland
tonight.
In 1993, Ellis was convicted of 16 counts of abusing crèche children and
sentenced to 10 years' jail. He was freed on automatic parole in February
2000. He has always maintained he is innocent.
An inquiry last year into aspects of the case by former chief justice Sir
Thomas Eichelbaum found that Ellis had failed "by a distinct
margin" to prove his innocence. But a secret report by another retired
judge, Sir Thomas Thorp, looked at similar issues and concluded there was
"serious doubt about the safety of (Ellis's) convictions". This
report was leaked a week after Justice Minister Phil Goff issued the
Eichelbaum report. Ellis supporter Winston Wealleans said last night that he
was at Ellis's home on Wednesday when two detectives arrived at 6.50pm. Mr Wealleans said they
asked Ellis to arrange an appointment at the police station for Ellis and Mrs
Ablett-Kerr. Ellis asked if they could see him with his lawyer at home, but
he was told they had to go to the station.
"They would not give any details of why they wanted to see him," Mr
Wealleans said. "Peter asked if this was a historical case (of abuse
from his crèche days) and they confirmed that it was."
The two detectives could not be reached for comment last night.
Canterbury University criminologist Greg Newbold
spoke to Ellis yesterday about the new police move. Dr Newbold said last
night that he had advised Ellis to invite police to prosecute him for the new
allegations.
"Ninety per cent of people in Christchurch
know he is innocent now, thanks to Lynley's book, and so does the judiciary.
If they charged him with these new ones it is highly unlikely he would be
convicted and it would show up the absurdity of the original case."
Mrs Ablett-Kerr is overseas.
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