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The
Christchurch Civic Creche Case |
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A parliamentary
committee has rejected a call for a royal commission of inquiry into the case
of convicted childcare worker Peter Ellis. Ellis was convicted in
1993 of sexually molesting children at the Christchurch Civic Creche where he
worked. One of the seven preschoolers he was found guilty of abusing later
retracted the allegations and three of Ellis' convictions have since been
quashed. Ellis, who has always
maintained his innocence, served two-thirds of a 10-year jail sentence. A petition calling for
a top-level look at the creche case has been with Parliament's justice and
electoral select committee for two years. Committee chairman Tim
Barnett said today a royal commission was not the most effective way to
address the real issues emerging from the case. The committee made
seven recommendations including that the attorney-general not oppose, or
oppose only in principle, a proposed application by Ellis for leave to appeal
to the Privy Council. |
