Christchurch Star
June 25 2003

'Glimmer' of hope for Ellis
by Donna Birkett

Christchurch woman Lesley Ellis sees a "little glimmer of hope" in a petition presented to Parliament yesterday by high powered support- ers calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into her son's case.

She is the mother of Peter Ellis, who was found guilty of child abuse as a worker at the Christchurch Civic Creche in the early 1990s but has since been fighting to clear his name.

Mrs Ellis told the Star yesterday she was finding it hard to get excited about the petition, having been down this track so many times.

She added that Mr Ellis, who has maintained his innocence, felt much the same.

About 140 high profile New Zealanders, including lawyers and politicians, signed the petition.

Otago author Lynley Hood, who has written a book about the Christchurch Civic Creche case entitled A City Possessed, said the petition was going to Parliament as a whole to encourage MPs to take action.

Mrs Ellis said numerous people had done a lot of work and a number of the creche staff were in Wellington yesterday, as was Judith Ablett-Kerr QC. She presented a statement on behalf of Mr Ellis and his mother, who both remained in Canterbury.

Mrs Ellis said she took a petition up to Parliament several years ago and gave it to New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. She said she had been hopeful so many times.

She asked what life there was for Mr Ellis now, with 12 years out of his life, even if something happened. She also wondered if she would be around to see it.

Mrs Ellis said Lynley Hood had done a marvellous job.

The author initially started writing a book on sex abuse hysteria but ended up centering a book on the civic creche case.

Mrs Ellis believed a problem was there would be egg on people's faces in various government and local body departments if her son was cleared, as well as a financial cost.

In a statement released by his lawyer this week, Mr Ellis said the petition had been organised independently from him.

However, he urged the Minister of Justice, Phil Goff, to acquiesce to the request for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into his case.

He said he did not see how the minister could reasonably ignore the fact that concerns about his case were widespread and that it was being voiced by people whose views the minister would usually give a lot of weight to.