Newstalk ZB
August 3 2003

Ad man hits back at Commissioner


Businessman who paid for paper ads to try to clear name of Peter Ellis has hit back at Children's Commissioner

The campaign to clear the name of Peter Ellis has kicked into high gear.

Transcripts from interviews with three victims from the Christchurch Civic Creche case appear in a newspaper ad today.

Ellis spent seven years in prison after being convicted in 1993.

The advertisement, entitled the Toddler Testimonies, begins with criticism of the way the children's stories seemed to change as the investigation progressed.

One six-year-old boy progresses from toilet talk to tales of ritual abuse by up to 20 adults, which were not played to the jury.

Another child witness claimed Ellis's mother Leslie also abused her, though again this was not played to the jury.

The businessman behind the campaign has hit back at the Children's Commissioner.

Roger McClay believes it is a breach of the victims' rights.

But Barry Colman says the commissioner should be more concerned about the way the children in the case were treated by the system, and that the way they were interviewed does not happen again.

He acknowledges that critics will say the newspaper ads are selective, and do not give readers the full picture.

He says he plans to create a new website and post all of the interview transcripts on it.

Barry Colman says New Zealanders will then be able to make their own judgement.