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Stuff
July 22, 2002
Ellis appeals to Clark, Goff to read Hood's book
NZPA
Prime Minister Helen Clark and Justice Minister Phil Goff should read
Lynley Hood's prize-winning book A City
Possessed, former Christchurch Civic Crèche worker Peter Ellis said
today.
Ellis, who has always protested his innocence, was paroled from prison in
February 2000 after serving 6½ years for abusing seven children in his care
at the crèche.
Ellis was visited by police last week wanting to arrange a meeting with him
regarding a historical abuse allegation. He said police were saying very
little about the latest allegation.
"It was an odd time of night to be turning up. It was out and out
harassment. It is just bizarre," he told Newstalk ZB radio today.
Hood's book won the top prize at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards in Auckland on Saturday
night.
Hood supports Ellis and other crèche workers and has called for a commission
of inquiry into the case. Ellis said today he wanted Miss Clark and Mr Goff
to read the book, rather than rely on Crown Law Office advice on whether to
review the case.
Former crèche supervisor Gaye Davidson says she is terrified of being
implicated in another child abuse scandal but says she has nothing to hide.
Ms Davidson has been asked to contact police. Business cards from two Christchurch detectives
were left at her front door last week.
Ms Davidson and three other female co-workers -- Marie Keys, Jan Buckingham,
and Debbie Gillespie -- had indecent assault and sexual violation charges
dropped in 1992-93.
"I'm dumbfounded. I can't believe they're revisiting it. I'm lost for
words, to be honest," Ms Davidson said.
In January 2001 a young Christchurch
man laid a formal complaint in which he alleged he was sexually abused by
Ellis and others when he was a boy at the crèche.
In April, police child abuse unit manager Detective Sergeant Chris Power,
said a legal opinion had suggested that the similar nature of recent
allegations made the possibility of fresh charges against Ellis unlikely
because he had already served a sentence.
Police were not commenting today about any investigation into the case.
"It is not police practice to publicly comment or identify people
alleged to be involved in any criminal investigation," Christchurch police said in a statement.
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