The Press
Two out of three in survey want Ellis case inquiry
by Amanda Warren
Two-thirds
of Cantabrians want a Royal Commission of Inquiry
into the case of convicted paedophile Peter Ellis.
Overwhelming support for a review of Ellis' conviction in the high-profile
Christchurch Civic Childcare Centre child abuse case has emerged in the first
of a Press community issues survey.
The survey of 600 people found 68 per cent felt there should be a Royal
Commission of Inquiry. Only 17 per cent said there should be no review, and 16
per cent did not know.
The controversial, decade-old case has been back in the spotlight recently,
with the presentation to Parliament of a petition calling for it to be
re-examined.
About 140 high-profile New Zealanders were among those calling for a royal
commission.
The 807-signature petition is now before the justice and electoral select
committee, with a second petition containing several hundred more signatures to
be added soon.
Justice Minister Phil Goff has maintained there will be no inquiry unless new
evidence is presented.
Yesterday, a spokesman for the minister said public support was not enough
reason to go ahead with a new investigation.
"It has to be based on evidence and unless new evidence can be put forward
there isn't a lot of point in going over evidence that's already been
considered," the spokesman said.
The telephone survey, commissioned by The Press and conducted by Opinions
Market Research Ltd, revealed a large number of Cantabrians
believed doubts had been raised about Peter Ellis' guilt.
Three-quarters believed the case was not cut-and-dried.
A further 10 per cent said no doubts had been raised, and 15 per cent did not
know.
The Government's handling of calls for an inquiry also came under scrutiny,
with 63 per cent of those surveyed saying they felt the issue had not been
handled well.
Twelve per cent were positive about the Government's stance, while 26 per cent
did not know.
Lynley Hood, author of A City Possessed, the book which sparked calls for a
Royal Commission of Inquiry, said the survey results showed the Government was
out of touch with the wider community.
"I think the most important message to get across to Government is until
the issues raised by the creche case are acknowledged and addressed to the
satisfaction of the public, the case isn't going to go away. You can't bury it
because it won't lay down," she said.
Ms Hood said support was also strong from legal professionals and mental health
workers who felt Peter Ellis' conviction needed to be re-examined.