|
Sunday Star Times
August 24
Language comprehension
Letter to the Editor
by D Mainwaring (Hamilton)
Concerning the Ellis case, the five and six-year-olds interviewed would not
have known the meaning of many of the words used in those interviews. How
come they could answer them?
Sunday Star Times
August 24
Non-correcting system
Letter to the Editor
by Rob Mawson (Mosgiel)
It is
excellent news that more of the children are calling for an inquiry into the Civic
Creche case, to establish once and for all what happened and how it happened,
and are asking for legal aid in order to front the select committee to push
their case.
The pressure on these children must be huge, with constant publicity that
says nothing ever happened and yet they have been told from an early age that
they were victims of abuse.
Even the most junior social worker can tell us that if a child is repeatedly
told he or she is useless, they will come to believe it. It is not at all
surprising some believe they have memories of abuse when they have been
treated as victims from such an early age. They need and deserve the truth.
Only the widest ranging and most independent inquiry into the entire
circumstances of the case, and not just the guilt or innocence of Ellis, can
possibly put these young minds at rest and allow them to come to terms with
what has happened to them.
The inquiry is desperately needed, irrespective of any possible appeal to the
Privy Council or its verdict.
The inquiry also needs to look into the sexual abuse industry and justice
system and the way appeals are handled.
It has become patently obvious that the system is unable to correct
itself, not just in this case, but in too many others as well.
|
