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Waikato Times
July 22, 2002
Police in firing line over Ellis
NZPA
Award-winning author Lynley Hood says she is suspicious of police
"harassing and intimidating" former Christchurch Civic Crèche
worker Peter Ellis.
Ellis said police knocked on his door last Wednesday night about an historic
abuse allegation. He said today he felt harassed and intimidated.
Ellis, who has always protested his innocence, was paroled from prison in
February 2000 after serving 6 1/2 years for abusing seven children in his
care at the crèche.
A book about the crèche case -- A City
Possessed -- won the Montana New Zealand Book Award's top prize in Auckland on Saturday
night.
Speaking from Auckland
today, Hood said she was "absolutely suspicious" of the latest
police inquiry into Ellis. "This is the same thing as what happened on
the eve of the publication of the book. There was a supposed new allegation.
The same story keeps getting recycled. "There needs to be a commission
of inquiry. We have a slow-burning fuse here and it is getting shorter and
brighter. The Government can't ignore this book."
Hood said the police visit was "par for the course" and their
actions showed their "huge power".
She spoke to Ellis on the phone after police had gone to see him.
Police would not comment on the case today.
Hood said legal authorities "up and down the country" concurred with
her view that Ellis should not have been jailed.
"It's not just the crèche. I am deeply concerned about false allegations
of sex abuse, which is really ripping at the fabric of society. The system
can't distinguish reliably between true and false allegations."
Ellis said he wanted Prime Minister Helen Clark and Justice Minister Phil
Goff to read the book, rather than rely on Crown Law Office advice on whether
to review the case.
Former crèche supervisor Gaye Davidson has been asked to contact police. Ms
Davidson and three other female co-workers had indecent assault and sexual
violation charges dropped in 1992-93.
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