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The Press
September 22, 2003
Thomas backs inquiry
by Anna Claridge
Arthur Allan Thomas, the man at the centre of New
Zealand's most talked-about judicial travesty, is backing a call for a Royal
Commission of Inquiry into the Peter Ellis case.
Mr Thomas, his wife Jennifer, and other family members have signed a second
petition demanding a wider inquiry into the handling of the Christchurch civic creche child-abuse case.
Mr Thomas said the conviction of Ellis was as close to his own miscarriage of
justice as any case he had seen. He urged Justice Minister Phil Goff to
"look, seek, and find out".
"This will go on and on until something is done," Mr Thomas said.
"It happened in my case and it's happening again."
The Waikato farmer was twice convicted of
murdering Jeanette and Harvey Crewe at their Pukekawa farm house on June 17,
1970.
Mr Thomas served nine years in prison, but was pardoned after an inquiry
found police had planted evidence incriminating him. In 1980, he received $1
million compensation.
Speaking from his Taupiri farm yesterday, Mr Thomas said justice was
"the most important thing in the world", and the New Zealand
public were not satisfied that it had been served in the Ellis case.
"It is very important that justice must be seen to be done. Justice for
you, and I, and the public. If people in New Zealand cannot see that
justice has been done, then an inquiry must be called.
"From what I have seen, and what I have heard, I am not satisfied that
justice has been done ... There are no ifs, no buts, get it done."
Mr Thomas said Ellis needed to "stay strong" and eventually an
inquiry would "bring things out".
He had not read Dunedin
author Lynley Hood's book on the case, A City Possessed, but had followed
developments since Ellis' conviction in 1993.
Asked if he could give some words of advice to Ellis, Mr Thomas said:
"Chin up Peter, chin up."
National MPs Katherine Rich and Don Brash have presented to Parliament one
high-profile petition calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry. Those to
sign included former prime ministers David Lange and Mike Moore, retired High
Court judge Laurie Greig and law professors from throughout New Zealand.
That petition is at present before Parliament's justice and electoral select
committee.
Justice Minister Phil Goff has rebuffed the petition, saying he needs fresh
evidence before he can launch an inquiry.
Mrs Rich told The Press yesterday she had approached Thomas to sign the
second petition and he was "delighted" to help.
"He was surprised no-one had contacted him earlier."
The second petition - which already has more than 5000 signatures - is to be
launched at Canterbury
University on October
6. It would then be presented to Parliament, and eventually get added to the
original petition.
New signatories include former speaker of the house Sir Peter Tapsell,
climber Graham Dingle, author Alan Duff, and actress Miranda Harcourt. Mrs
Rich said 32 children or family members directly involved in the creche case
had also signed.
Peter Ellis was yesterday overwhelmed at the names gathered on the second
petition, with the calibre of signatories leaving him "speechless".
"I've seen the list of names. It's phenomenal .th.th. reading down the
list, you are left speechless. It's the calibre of people _ the
qualifications behind each name. Who they are and what they have done."
Ellis, a Christchurch Civic Creche child care worker, was convicted of child
abuse and sentenced to 10 years jail in 1993. After almost seven years he was
freed, in 2000, having always maintained his innocence.
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