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The Christchurch
Civic Creche Case |
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Parliament's Justice
and Electoral Commission committee, in being asked to consider a commission
of inquiry into the conviction of Peter Ellis for child molestation, has
recommended everything but. While rejecting that
bid, it has nonetheless produced an overwhelming raft of recommendations for
changes to legislation amounting to a clear admission that, in cases where
the sexual abuse of children is alleged, the justice system stacks the odds
against the defendant, turning trials into inquisitions. It is not enough to
merely patch the legislation to prevent such an appalling miscarriage of
justice happening again, as Peter Ellis remains a lingering casualty of a
system that has repeatedly failed him and destroyed his life. A commission of inquiry
would not necessitate his "victims" being dragged through the coals
again; such a claim is an emotive red herring. It would need only look at
whether Ellis should have been convicted based on the evidence at the trial. The committee's
suggestion seems to be that it is better to deny an innocent man justice than
to risk hurting the feelings of his accusers. |
