The Dominion Post
Jury believed the children
Letter to the Editor
by M Walker (Seatoun)
Once again I am
astounded by the arrogance of those who advocate so strongly for the innocence
of Peter Ellis.
Like it or not, our criminal justice system allows juries to decide the fate of
those accused of a crime. They are in the unique position of hearing a
significant amount of evidence that, in order to protect the victims, never
enters public debate. Those involved in public debate rely on the conclusions
of others with interest of their own and rarely, if ever, hear from the
victims. The jury heard from the children. The jury believed the children. The
jury found Ellis guilty.
The argument that this case is about politics, radical feminist and fundamental
Christians running rampant through the police force and social
services is a smokescreen. This case is about the abuse of children. It
is about a man who used his position and the trust placed in him for his own
selfish ends and disregarded the consequences. While I acknowledge that it is
more palatable to believe that the people who look after our children will not
harm them, wishing it true does not make it so.
While we might be more comfortable living with denial, where does that leave
the children Ellis abused?