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Stuff
October 3, 2003
Second Ellis petition signed by creche kids
NZPA
Children and parents associated with the former Christchurch Civic Creche
have signed a second petition calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into
the Peter Ellis sex abuse case.
Gaye Davidson, supervisor at the creche at the time of the sexual abuse
charges, will present the petition to National MPs Don Brash and Katherine
Rich in Christchurch
on Monday.
Amongst the more than 3000 signatures on the petition are nine children and
17 parents who were involved with the creche at the time of the case.
Ms Rich said she wouldn't name the children as some were covered by identity
protection orders and others did not wish to be named.
The children were now young adults.
Prominent people to sign the latest petition include Arthur Allan Thomas,
whose double murder conviction was overturned after he spent nine years in
jail, philanthropist Rosemary Horton, author Alan Duff and former
Parliamentary speaker Sir Peter Tapsell.
Both Ellis and his mother had indicated they would attend the handing over
ceremony on the steps of the Canterbury
University Law
School.
Ms Rich said the second petition showed there was a "growing
groundswell" of concern about the Ellis conviction.
"Many people expressed a desire for a second petition as they wanted to
feel they had need to be involved," Ms Rich said.
The petition will be put before the select committee considering the original
petition calling for an inquiry
Mr Thomas said recently 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.
Mr Thomas said justice was "the most important thing in the world",
and the New Zealand
public was 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."
Those to sign the first petition included former prime ministers David Lange
and Mike Moore, retired High Court judge Laurie Greig and law professors from
throughout New Zealand.
Justice Minister Phil Goff has rebuffed the petition, saying he needs fresh
evidence before he can launch an inquiry. He said numerous court cases and an
independent inquiry had found the convictions were sound
Mrs Rich said today she approached Mr Thomas to sign the second petition and
he was "delighted" to help.
"He was surprised no one had contacted him earlier."
Ellis, a Christchurch
civic creche child care worker, was convicted of child abuse and sentenced to
10 years jail in 1993.
He spent almost seven years in prison and was freed in 2000, having always
maintained his innocence.
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