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The Otago Daily Times
July 22, 2002
Award win backs Ellis inquiry call, author says
Fresh investigation `not
new'
by Joanna Norris and NZPA
Recognition at New Zealand's premier book awards shows a ground-swell
of support for an inquiry into the conviction of Peter Ellis, triumphant
Dunedin author Lynley Hood said last night.
Hood, author of A City Possessed,
won the Montana non-fiction book award worth
$10,000 at a ceremony in Auckland
on Saturday.
The book was also a clear winner of the Reader's Choice Award and won the
history category, for which Hood received a prize of $5000.
The 600-page book questions the guilt of crèche worker Peter Ellis,
identifying flaws in the way the justice system handles complaints of sexual
abuse. It points to a hysteria, which Hood claims surrounded the investigation
into alleged sexual abuse at Christchurch Civic Crèche.
"Whatever the next government is they are going to need to address the
issue," Hood said when interviewed yesterday.
"I think that's one of the messages of doing so well in the Readers'
Choice award."
Hood, who has called for a Royal Commission inquiry into the case, said:
"There's a great concern that sex abuse hysteria is out of control and a
lot of innocent people are being damaged. If the problem is not addressed,
it's likely to rip New
Zealand society apart."
The awards for Hood come as fresh allegations against Ellis appear to have
emerged.
Two detectives visited Ellis last week to arrange an appointment with him and
his Dunedin
lawyer Judith Ablett Kerr, after allegations by a young man who was a child
at the crèche when Ellis worked there, NZPA reported.
Hood said she believed the allegations were not new.
"They seem to be the same so-called fresh allegations dragged out
every time Peter Ellis' innocence is in the public arena.
"They [the police] have no answers to my book, so instead of facing up
to serious concerns about police conduct and admitting the whole thing was a
huge mess, they are trying to give it [the investigation] validity with
rumour and innuendo about fresh allegations."
The convener of the judging panel, Witi Ihimaera, said A City Possessed was an extraordinary book which could not be
ignored.
"With great tenacity, Hood leads us to an understanding of how the
events in Christchurch
could have occurred."
A former supervisor of the Christchurch Civic Crèche is terrified of
being implicated in another child abuse scandal - but says she has nothing to
hide.
Gaye Davidson has been asked to contact police investigating new allegations
of historic sexual abuse at the crèche.
The same detectives have also visited former creche worker Peter Ellis to
request an interview over an abuse allegation dating back more than 10 years.
Ms Davidson and three other female co-workers - Marie Keys, Jan Buckingham,
and Debbie Gillespie - had indecent assault and sexual violation charges
dismissed in 1992-93.
This latest approach by police has clearly rattled Ms Davidson (48), who has
always insisted no children were abused at the crèche.
"I'm dumbfounded. I can't believe they're revisiting it. I'm lost for
words, to be honest," she said.
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