Stuff
June 11 2003

History will judge Goff
Letter to Editor, by Peter Davies

I read your item regarding Peter Ellis, and Phil Goff's refusal (yet again) to consider a Royal Commission of Enquiry, with considerable disappointment. 

There are two angles to why Lynley Hood's book is so convincing: firstly her thoroughness in researching Peter Ellis' trial and in documenting her findings, and secondly the deafening silence from those who (by implication) are variously accused of perjury (the child witnesses), incompetence (the police, the child abuse "experts", the entire legal system), and fraud (the 40 payouts of $10,000 for "abuse" that clearly never happened). 

I find Phil Goff's intransigence in the face of this clear presentation of a case of miscarriage of justice quite bizarre, and I wonder just how deep this issue goes? I liked your quote from Prof. Allan which perhaps gets to the nub of the issue: "There are too many people who would have to admit they made a mistake".

I presume that many of them have close links with the Labour party, since they seem to be the only party unable to wake up to the facts.

Eventually, sooner or later, history is going to judge Mr. Goff. I somehow don't think it is going to be a favourable epitath.