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Otago
Daily Times
September 5, 2002
Ellis 'No' to interview
by Gail Goodger
Peter Ellis will
not voluntarily be interviewed by police about the latest allegation of
historic child abuse, because co-operating previously had left him "with
no confidence in the process", his Dunedin lawyer says.
But Mr Ellis would be happy to answer all questions in an appropriate forum,
which he believed was a Royal Commission of Inquiry, Judith Ablett-Kerr, QC,
said in a statement yesterday.
Police inquiries into activities at the Christchurch Civic Childcare Centre
in 1992-93 led to Mr Ellis being sentenced to 10 years' jail for his
conviction on 13 charges of abusing children in his care.
Mr Ellis, who has always maintained his innocence, was released from prison
in February 2000 after serving seven years.
Police have been investigating a complaint about Mr Ellis and two other
people, laid by a 20-year-old man not party to the original charges.
The Christchurch
man laid a formal complaint in January 2001 alleging he was sexually abused
by Mr Ellis while a boy, at the childcare centre.
Mrs Ablett-Kerr said her client had told the police yesterday he would not be
interviewed voluntarily because of his experiences after co-operating fully
in the '90s.
Her client believed a Royal Commission would be appropriate instead, because
then not only could Mr Ellis be questioned but other "significant
individuals" as well.
"Such an inquiry presents the best hope of bringing a final and just
resolution to the [childcare centre] ... saga. Peter Ellis has instructed me
to pursue, with the Minister of Justice and any other appropriate persons,
the setting up of a Royal Commission," she said.
Mrs Ablett-Kerr could not be contacted last night for further comment.
The police told NZPA in April that a legal opinion suggested the similar
nature of the latest allegations made it unlikely fresh charges would be laid
against Mr Ellis because he had already served a sentence.
Detective Sergeant Chris Power said, at the time, the police were guided by
the legal opinion but other people might be criminally liable in the case and
the police would try to establish their identities.
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