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This page last
updated Aug 9 2005
2004-1210 - Daily News -
Labour's ethical black hole
by Chris Trotter - Surely this is a government Labour supporters can be proud
of? And, of course, they are. As poll after poll has testified, this is one
of the most popular governments in New Zealand history. It is even
possible that -- come the next election -- Labour will win enough votes to
govern alone. So, why does that frighten me? Perhaps it's because Phil Goff
cannot understand why Peter Ellis should be pardoned, and Helen Clark cannot
grasp why Ahmed Zaoui should be freed
2004-1208 - The Independent -
The king's 'evil counsellors'
by Chris Trotter - At Orewa, the liberal torch, scorned by ACT's
"perkbusters," passed into Brash's hands. He (Brash) was the
perfect choice. As the son of one of the leading exponents of liberal
theology in the New Zealand Presbyterian Church, Brash inherited a powerful
ethical sense. Nowhere was this better illustrated than in his campaign to
win a pardon for Peter Ellis in the Civic Creche case in Christchurch. When he broached the issue
with me over lunch, I was struck by the man's sincerity and by his almost
innocent faith in what steadfast moral purpose could achieve
2004-1126 -
NZ Parliament - Justice and Electoral Committee
The committee will next meet on 1 December, to consider the Relationships
(Statutory References) Bill, the Inquiry into the 2004 Local Authority
Elections, and all petitions currently before the committee
2004-1020 -
Christchurch Star - Crèche case back on MPs' agenda
by Rachel Tiffen - Former Christchurch Civic Creche worker Peter Ellis' quest
to clear his name is not over yet. This week, his case is back on the agenda
of the Justice and Electoral Committee – after months of dormancy. A decade
has passed since Ellis was convicted of 13 charges of indecent assault
relating to children formerly in his care, and sentenced to 10 years in jail.
And still, three years after his early release, he and supporters are
battling to prove his innocence.
2004-1015 - NBR - Radio NZ balks at BSA order to
apologise to Peter Ellis
by John Drinnan - Radio New Zealand is optimistic about settling a new
contract for Linda Clark to host the National Radio Nine to Noon show. But at the same time as courting Ms Clark,
Radio NZ's lawyers at law firm Izard Weston are trying to limit the latent
damage from a August 25, 2003 interview - a heavily criticised broadcast in
which she waded into the controversy surrounding former Christchurch Civic
Creche worker Peter Ellis.
2004-0910 - NBR - Hostess away the
mostest
by John Drinnan - Could National Radio Nine to Noon host Linda Clark have
known there was a terrible broadcasting standards finding coming when she
took another long holiday off air. Her latest two-week break coincided with
the Broadcasting Standards Authority showing "deep concern about a
serious breach of the rights for Peter Ellis in a "sympathetic"
interview with his accusers in August last year.
2004-0908 - The Press - RNZ told
to say sorry to Ellis
Radio New Zealand (RNZ) must apologise and pay costs to convicted sex
offender Peter Ellis over allegations made against him on its Nine to Noon
programme. The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) made the ruling after a
complaint from Ellis over a programme aired by RNZ in August last year.
2004-0908 - NZ Herald - Ellis
complaint against RNZ programme upheld
The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) yesterday released a decision
upholding a complaint from Peter Ellis about an interview conducted on
National Radio's Nine to Noon programme in August 2003
2004-0907 - NBR - BSA rules against
Radio New Zealand in Ellis case
The Broadcasting Standards Authority has issued a finding that requires Radio
New Zealand to broadcast an apology to Peter Ellis. The BSA said that RNZ had
breached standards of fairness and balance in a Linda Clark hosted interview
on Nine to Noon in which an anonymous mother and son made new, unspecified
allegations concerning Mr Ellis and the Christchurch Civic Crèche in 1985 --
allegations which had not been part of the court proceedings concerning the
Crèche and were presented in an unfair and unbalanced manner
2004-0907 - Stuff - BSA upholds nine
to noon complaint from Peter Ellis
In a statement today the BSA said it had ordered Radio New Zealand (RNZ) to
pay $5300 legal costs to the complainant, and to broadcast an apology on Nine
to Noon. RNZ was also to publish a summary of the decision in the four major
metropolitan daily newspapers, and pay the maximum level of costs to the
crown of $5000.
2004-0907 - One News - Radio New
Zealand fined
The BSA found the Nine to Noon programme breached standards of fairness and
balance, in broadcasting an interview in August last year with an
unidentified man who claimed to have been abused by Ellis. The allegations
were not part of the controversial case which saw Ellis convicted of sexual
offences against children at the creche in 1993.
2004-0907 - NZ Herald - Radio
NZ told to apologise to convicted child abuser
The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) has ordered National Radio to pay
legal costs and broadcast an apology to convicted child abuser Peter
Ellis. The BSA upheld a complaint from
Ellis about an interview conducted on the Nine to Noon programme in August 2
2004-0907 - Newstalk ZB - RNZ, TV3
and ZB told off by BSA
Radio New Zealand has been ordered to pay $5,300 dollars in legal costs to
Peter Ellis, the man convicted over the Christchurch Civic creche abuse case.
Peter Ellis complained to the Broadcasting Standards Authority after Nine to
Noon interviewed an anonymous mother and son who made unspecified
allegations, which were not part of the court proceedings that led to his
conviction
2004-0907 - Broadcasting Standards
Authority - BSA upholds Nine to Noon complaint
The Broadcasting Standards Authority today released a decision upholding a
complaint from Peter Ellis about an interview conducted on National Radio's
Nine to Noon programme in August 2003. The BSA ordered Radio New Zealand to pay $5,300 legal costs to the complainant,
to broadcast an apology on Nine to Noon, to publish a summary of the decision
in the four major metropolitan daily newspapers, and to pay the maximum level
of costs to the Crown of $5,000. During the broadcast an anonymous mother and
son were interviewed. They made new, unspecified allegations concerning Mr
Ellis and the Christchurch Civic Crèche in 1985, which had not been part of
the court proceedings concerning the Crèche
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Complaint by Peter Ellis
against Linda Clark’s Nine to Noon programme upheld
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2004-0903 - Broadcasting Standards
Authority - Decision: Complaint by Peter Ellis
The Authority upholds the complaint that
the broadcast by Radio New Zealand Ltd of an item on Nine to Noon on 25 August 2003 breached Principle 4 and
Principle 5 of the Radio Code of Broadcasting Practice
2004-0827 - The Press - Ellis
inquiry faulty
by Nancy Sutherland - the [Eichelbaum] inquiry's terms at (1) (c)
specifically invited conclusions only about the children's evidential
interviews, and not about the general investigation. This was inconsistent
with c's logically preceding terms, (a) and (b), which equally made both the
investigation and the interviews proper subjects for the inquiry. Eichelbaum
discussed this flaw, but stated that on any view, any and all aspects of the
police investigation were off-limits, and refocused his inquiry to the
obtaining of evidence from the children, including the part played by their
parents and the parents of other creche children. On a reasonable
interpretation, the intent of (1) (a) and (b) was thus denied. This must be
effectively rectified.
2004-0627 - kiwiblog - Guilty or
not?
New
April 21 2005
by David Farrar - UMR in January 2004 did a poll on whether people think
Watson, Bain and Ellis were guilty of the crimes they were convicted of.-
Ellis 23%.
Followup comments: "The unabated PC witch hunt that was
the Ellis case has not convinced me";
"Ellis - definitely innocent - just reading the part of the
transcripts of what the children said had happened"; "I don't believe juror's go anywhere
near applying the "reasonable doubt" threshold"
2004-0611 - ACT Party - Sexual abuse,
Historical perspective
Heather Roy in "Heather's Diary"
- Without question, the most controversial sexual abuse charge in recent
years in New Zealand has been the case of the Christchurch Civic Creche. This
case has been the subject of the book "A City Possessed", by Lynley Hood, who likens the case to
the witch hunts of old. In 1992, allegations of sexual offending at the
creche resulted in a long police investigation and several creche workers
were charged. Most of the workers were women, and sexual offending by women
is uncommon. Doubts were raised about the validity of the techniques used to
interview the children
2004-0603 - The Press - Drinking
age
Letter to the Editor by W Moffitt - Phil
Goff has said that the law will not be changed, which is consistent with his
head in the sand attitude to the Peter Ellis case. This is rather sad as he
has always appeared to be one of the more intelligent members of the Labour
Party
2004-0523 - Radio NZ -
Sunday Supplement
James Allan, Faculty of Law, University of Otago - A tough-minded critic
would now bring up the Peter Ellis case and contrast it with all the voiced
concern for rights in the abstract.
Here is real injustice. In my
view Peter Ellis should never have been convicted and the prevailing attitude
here seems to be to sweep this embarrassing episode under the carpet. It stinks.
2004-0424 - NZ Listener - Let us
now, inevitably, consider Peter Ellis
Philip Matthews reviews Capturing the Friedmans: Who in New Zealand could watch this and
not think of the Peter Ellis case? No physical evidence existed for abuse of
neighbourhood boys and no complaints had been made before the police went
trawling for victims………Crusading journalist Debbie Nathan makes the equally
inevitable comparison with the McMartin case in California, where accusations
regarding abused pre-schoolers were found to be hollow. If the Ellis story
ever had a prologue, it was that.
2004-0417 - NZ Herald - Warm up for
midwinter film feast
by Peter Calder - The other standout documentary is Capturing the Friedmans,
a nuanced rather than polemical look at a family torn apart by allegations of
sexual abuse. Relying heavily on footage shot by family members it makes for
chilling viewing in a country apparently content to live with the injustice
visited on Peter Ellis.
2004-0415 - Otago Daily Times -
Reflections on creche case welcome, but analysis flawed
by Lynley Hood - United Future MP Murray Smith's reflections on the
Christchurch Civic Creche case (ODT
April 8.2004), and his comments on the need for law reform in relation to
children's evidence, are a welcome contribution to the debate surrounding
this contentious issue. With regard to A
City Possessed , Mr Smith has done what I want people to do with the
book: he has read it, and thought about it, and reached his own conclusions.
His critique is a fine starting point for debate. It is therefore
disappointing that his arguments are so easy to demolish. The flaws in Mr
Smith's analysis of my book could not be more fundamental.
2004-0408 - Otago Daily Times -
Child Evidence Law Issue in Ellis Review
A thorough review of the Evidence Act involving the use of expert evidence in
child abuse cases is necessary, writes lawyer Murray Smith, a United Future
MP who is a member of Parliament's justice and electoral select committee
presently considering a petition in the Peter Ellis case.
2004-0326 - NZ
Herald - Defence and indefensibility: An MP courting trouble
by Jim Hopkins - Contempt in Court - (A Comedy of Several Acts) - Dr
Nicksmith: Thank you, your Onion. And did you also say that you admired Peter
Ellis and believed his inner strength was inspired by his innocence? Justice
Lostiss-Behrens: Too right. We've got to speak our minds. We've got to say
what we think about these things, even if several appeals to m'learned
colleagues (and the Minister of Justice) have upheld the original verdict. It
doesn't matter. I reckon he's innocent and that's that.
2004-0326 - peterellis.org.nz
- More on the Eichelbaum Report Scandal
The coverup over how Sas came to be appointed is not good enough Goff - You,
or somebody that works for you must know how Sas name dropped conveniently
into the hands of Petherick and Sim.
The decision to use Sas was extraordinary, and there must be
accountability for that decision, and for the actions of your own staff. The
Eichelbaum report is starting to smell very rotten
2004-0319 -
NZ Parliament - Justice and Electoral Committee
The committee met on 17 March to consider the ….Petition 2002/55 of Lynley
Jane Hood and Don Brash and 807 others
2004-0319 - The Press - Ellis Case
Letter to the Editor by J J Small - In the New York Review of Books (March
11) Frederick Crews examines two recent books on opposite sides of the issue
that is central to the Ellis case, namely, recovered memories. Crews does not
completely exonerate the American Psychological Association from blame (as
Harper does), saying that it bowed to pressure to recognize the validity of
this alleged phenomenon, which resulted from the APA’s 1971 concession to
some programmes that omitted any scientific training
2004-0319 - The Press - Ellis Case
Letter to the Editor by Chris Watson - A recurring theme is the confidence
that the public must have in the justice system. The logic seems to go like
this: the public must have confidence in the system; if the system makes a
mistake this confidence is affected; therefore the system makes no mistakes;
therefore the public has confidence in the system.
2004-0315 - The Press - Shadow of
doubt over Ellis report
by Jonathon Harper - Advice from the Ministry of Justice officials may have
meant the Eichelbaum report on convicted sex offender Peter Ellis was flawed
before it was written......... His choice of experts and their advice has
become open for scrutiny by New
Zealand experts in the field, who suggest
that Eichelbaum's conclusion that the verdicts were safe was flawed and that
the evidence for the conviction was not gathered according to best practice.
Why it has taken the academic community so long to raise these issues and be
heard remains a mystery.
2004-0312 - peterellis.org.nz
- More on the Eichelbaum Report Scandal
On the 13 June, 2000, an
extraordinary meeting took place with a couple of Ministry Justice
Officials (Val Sim and Michael Petherick) and Thomas Eichelbaum. The following issues were discussed: a) The
Appointment of Louise Sas; b) Justice Officials "explain" to
Eichelbaum the difference between research psychologists and practitioner
clinicians; (c) Eichelbaum "discounts" Professors Ceci and Goodman
on the basis of their high profile and research direction over the last 15
years!; (d) Eichelbaum selects his preferred candidates as expert advisors on
child suggestibility; (e) Justice
official Val Sim suggested that Sir Thomas may also wish to contact Professor
Lyon and ask for suggestions for impartial experts. Sir Thomas agreed!
2004-0312 -
NZ Parliament - Justice and Electoral Committee
The committee’s next meeting will be on 17 March, when it will consider the
…. petition 2002/55 of Lynley Jane Hood and Don Brash and 807 others
2004-0311 -
peterellis.org.nz - Dalziel pulls out of Ellis probe
Editorial - Opinion - This site applauds the actions of Lianne Dalziel in at
last being honest; coming clean and declaring her relationships with the
Ellis case. What is still not clear is
the influence that she has already had on the case while she was a senior
member of the Government, with justice responsibilities.
2004-0311 - The Press -
Dalziel pulls out of Ellis probe
Personal links to the Christchurch Civic Creche case have seen Christchurch
East MP Lianne Dalziel remove herself from a related parliamentary
investigation. Dalziel yesterday declared conflicts of interest to the select
committee weighing a petition calling for a commission of inquiry. …..Dalziel
has a personal connection to two children who attended the creche. She is
also married to Rob Davidson, whose first wife, Gaye, was Ellis's supervisor
at the creche……."I'm conflicted on both sides," Dalziel said.
"I will be absent from all considerations of the Ellis petition."
2004-0308 -
peterellis.org.nz - Commissions of Inquiry
Editorial - Opinion - The Government does no service to anybody by promoting
retired judges to their level of incompetence. It seems a pity that Eichelbaum appears
destined to be remembered for his role of Commissioner in his severely flawed
Ellis Inquiry, rather than for his considerable experience and years as a
Judge.
2004-0307 -
peterellis.org.nz - Eichelbaum files revealed
Eichelbaum asks Sim if he should ignore Thorp Report; ….How Eichelbaum was
hoodwinked by the Ministry of Justice with reasons to "discount"
any expert who may have disagreed with the Crown; ….The process of appointing
the "experts" to Eichelbaum's "Inquiry"; ….How Val Sim
justified "discounting" all the experts that she didn't want to
advise Eichelbaum!; ….What Ablett Kerr had to say about Eichelbaum's
rejection of Ceci and Bruck as experts; ….The influence of Professor Thomas Lyon
as advisor to Eichelbaum. ……The
credibility of Eichelbaum's report lies in tatters. Was the whole process a setup? And if so,
by who? (Documents Index)
2004-0305 -
NZ Parliament - Justice and Electoral Committee
Changes in Committee Membership - Lianne Dalziel replaced Mita Ririnui
The committee met on 3 March to consider the ……… petition 2002/55 of Lynley
Jane Hood, Don Brash and 807 others
2004-0227 -
NZ Parliament - Justice and Electoral Committee
The committee met on 25 February to consider the
……..petition 2002/55 of Lynley Jane Hood, Don Brash and 807 others. Next week
the committee will meet on 3 March to …. consider the ….. petition 2002/55 of
Lynley Jane Hood, Don Brash and 807 others.
2004-0209 - NZ Herald - Ellis
note reinstated
NZPA - Refer Press report 2004-0207
2004-0207 - The Press - MP
questions removal of sentence from Ellis inquiry report
The ministry has been accused of having a "vested interest" in the
Ellis case…….Documents released by…Katherine Rich show the Ministry of
Justice withheld a sentence from a report which she had requested under the
Official Information Act. Mrs Rich had requested a copy of a 2001 ministry
report, prepared for Justice Minister Phil Goff, which looked at holding a
commission of inquiry into the Ellis case. When she received her copy one
sentence had been blacked out. Mrs
Rich appealed that decision to the Ombudsman, who ruled against the
department and allowed the sentence to be released publicly. The sentence in
question states: "It has to be acknowledged, however, that such an
inquiry is unlikely to be able to arrive at the truth and, whatever its
findings, may fail to satisfy current public doubts."
2004-0202 - NZ Herald
- Victory for adult victims of children's abuse lies
by Michael Corballis - Last month, in a landmark case in Saskatoon, Canada,
Queen's Bench Justice George Baynton upheld a charge against three
individuals for malicious prosecution of 12 adults accused of satanic ritual
abuse of three children……The original case shares several features with that
of the Christchurch Civic Creche, which resulted in the conviction of Peter
Ellis on charges of the sexual abuse of children. Both took place in the early
1990s when hysteria over satanic ritual abuse was at its peak; both involved
the zealous efforts of a police officer bent on exposing such abuse; and in
both cases a mental health professional was critically involved.
2004-0201 - The
Observer - Schooled in scandal
(related to the British Hutton Inquiry, with comment by this site about the
relevance to the New Zealand Eichelbaum Inquiry)
by Nick Cohen - Judge-led inquiries have a long track record of failing to
criticise governments of their day……The wonder of the past six months is that
so many people, from Michael Howard to anti-war protesters, have failed to
learn from the history of judicial inquiries that fearless honesty is not
their distinguishing characteristic. Judges nearly always pull their punches.
A few do so with regret. Most wouldn't want to lay a finger on the state even
if they thought they could get away with it.
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