The Southland Times
July 3 2003

Creche case
Letter to the Editor
AJ Lemm (Queenstown)

A petition regarding the contentious court case of Peter Ellis at the Christchurch Civic Centre has just been presented to Parliament.

Hopefully this will be the catalyst that will bring a end to this saga of displaced justice. Justice Minister Phil Goff has continuously fudged the issue maintaining new evidence is required. It is acknowledged he has followed a prescribed legal procedure, but history has proved the court system is not infallible.

An almost identical case occurred in England at a nursery in 1993 (Reed and Lillie) The evidence was given by young children and analysed by experts and convictions followed. Later they where vindicated by a 700 page report by the Royal Courts of Justice in Britain.

Not a scrap of factual evidence in this conviction proves Peter Ellis's guilt.

Mr Goff has a hobby horse called Inflexible. The time has come for him to dismount gracefully and implement a full Commission of Inquiry.