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Sunday Star Times
November 3, 2002
Crèche Case
Letters to the Editor
by Richard Christie
Phil Goff recently responded to many who have written to him with
concerns in the wake of Lynley Hood's award-winning book on the Christchurch
crèche case.
In his reply to my concerns Goff said: "Both Sir Thomas (Eichelbaum) and
the two international experts on child evidence he appointed independently
reached the conclusion that convictions on those charges on which Ellis was
found guilty were safe."
As many others may have received similar information from the minister I
write to clarify this point.
I quote expert Professor Davies in the Eichelbaum report "My report . .
. will not attempt to pass judgement on the guilt or otherwise of Ellis nor
to pronounce on the reliability of individual children's accounts".
Nor was expert Dr Sas asked to comment on the safety of the convictions.
Additionally, and in contradiction to Goff's spin, Davies raised real
concerns regarding contamination of evidence and the need to test the
veracity of the allegations against the "wider context of the
investigation". He regarded the latter task to raise "issues which
are beyond my remit".
The experts did not reach the conclusion that the convictions were safe.
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