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Sunday Star Times
April 20 2003
Campaigners give up on Ellis over net dispute
by Amie Richardson
Convicted
child abuser Peter Ellis' longest campaigner has given up the fight to clear
his name after a dispute over whether Ellis should buy a computer.
Supporter Winston Wealleans, who has campaigned for Ellis for 10 years, said
he encouraged him to buy a computer so he could access and exchange
information with people over the internet. Ellis refused.
"I was trying to encourage him to get computerised and he didn't
appreciate that," Wealleans said.
"That's where information can be transferred ... email, file sharing,
it's absolutely essential ... that's where our relationship stopped."
Wealleans said he and fellow supporter Roger Keys had decided to give up the
cause.
Ellis was sentenced in 1993 to 10 years' imprisonment on 13 counts of abuse.
He was freed on automatic parole in February 2000. His application for a
pardon was declined in March 2001 by then governor-general Sir Michael Hardie
Boys after a ministerial inquiry. Police revisited the case last year after
fresh allegations of sexual abuse of children dating from the time he worked
at the Christchurch Civic Creche.
The allegations came on the eve of Dunedin
writer Lynley Hood's book on the case, A City Possessed, winning the Montana book award
prizes for non-fiction and history and the readers' choice award.
Last month Canterbury's
Criminal Bar Association announced it would add its weight to calls for a
royal commission of inquiry into the case - a call Justice Minister Phil Goff
dismissed as "unrealistic".
Wealleans got involved in the case after his wife Jenny - also a civic creche
worker - was questioned by police. "I have a serious interest in getting
to the truth. When my wife was suspected of dreadful things, I wanted to know
why," Wealleans said.
However, though Wealleans was still "with him (Peter) 100%", he and
Keys wanted to move on from their work on the case. "As far as I'm
concerned, it doesn't seem to be progressing in a way in which my role really
matters," Wealleans said.
With no regrets about the work he has done, Wealleans said it was necessary
for Ellis to continue his campaign, but he had not told Ellis he and Keys
were moving on.
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