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The Christchurch Civic
Creche Case |
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Kate: "People either look at
you as a victim or a liar. I'd rather just be a normal person.'' Kate's fondest wish is to never
hear the name Peter Ellis again. "I turn on the news and see
his face, or I hear someone say his name, and it brings all the controversy
back again. It makes me feel sick," she said. Kate (not her real name) has
endured years of being "labelled as being different" because she
was one of the children who attended the now-infamous Christchurch Civic
Childcare Centre. The civic creche case was one of
the most widespread and controversial examples of sex abuse in New Zealand
history and resulted in compensation payments understood to total about
$500,000 for 40 alleged victims. Most payments were for $10,000
but, in cases where Ellis faced multiple charges relating to a single child,
some parents claimed for each alleged incidence of abuse. "For us who are involved in
it, we feel embarrassed to have a point of view because people challenge you
or treat you differently. People either look at you as a victim or a liar.
I'd rather just be a normal person," Kate said. She turned 20 this week and
received about $15,000 from her Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) trust
fund. The Press is unable to use the
real names of the children involved, or those of their parents, for legal
reasons. Ellis was convicted in 1993 of
sexually molesting children at the creche where he worked. He has always
maintained his innocence and served two-thirds of a 10-year jail sentence. Another former civic creche child,
Laura, said she still felt angry about her childhood but tried to move on
from being seen as "a victim" or "different". "I don't forgive him (Peter
Ellis). I hate his guts, but it's in the past, and I can't keep saying I was
a sexually abused child, so poor me," she said. Laura turns 21 this year. Her
family did not apply for an ACC payment, although she was interviewed by
social workers as a child and disclosed abuse against Ellis. Laura said the
experience affected her whole family – and still does. "Back then, my grandparents
and my dad wanted to wrap me up in cotton wool and take me away from it all.
Now, it's something that doesn't get discussed," she said. "In my family it's hush-hush
and if I see him (Ellis) on TV or ask any questions, they (family members)
say, 'We don't talk about that any more'." Laura's mother, Shelley, said her
daughter was a vivacious, happy young woman but had been a difficult teenager
and was still affected by her childhood experiences. "The thing I find hard is
that she has little empathy for other people, probably because of all she's
been through and being the centre of attention for so long," Shelley
said. "If someone else has a
problem, she'll be like, `Get over it'. Not so long ago, she would also get
seizures (she was diagnosed as an epileptic at 10) and she could get really
angry." Shelley said involvement in the
civic creche case took its toll on the whole family. She separated from her husband
during the early stages of Ellis's court case and moved the family from
Christchurch to escape intense public interest and criticism. "For years I was racked with
incredible guilt over sending (her daughter) to that creche," she said. David, the father of another civic
creche child, who will receive between $40,000 and $50,000 in compensation in
April, said his son was still "messed up". His son recently had a nervous
breakdown, took hard drugs, was dyslexic and struggled with what he was going
to do with his life. David questioned whether his son's
involvement in the civic creche was largely to blame for his son's problems. "The parents who have put it
behind them are the ones whose kids come out of it OK, but his mum wouldn't
let it go," David said. "It was like being a creche
kid was an excuse for all of his problems, and some of them were just being a
teenager." Kate's mother, Mandy, said that
over the years the family had debated whether they should have accepted ACC
compensation as her daughter's recollection of what happened at the creche
was hazy. "She (Kate) felt doubtful
about whether to give the money back if nothing happened, but I believe these
kids have suffered," Mandy said. "In some respects, the money
is another chain around her neck, like blood money. It's another reminder,
even though it's given as compensation." The civic creche case affected not
just Kate but the whole family, Mandy said. "It (Ellis's fight to clear
his name) still rattles her. It still upsets all of them (Kate's
siblings)." Christchurch sexual-abuse
counsellor Ali Cooper, who counselled some parents whose children attended
the creche, said it was common for victims of sexual abuse and their families
to experience long-term effects. Most commonly, people experienced
feelings of guilt, shame and low self-esteem, and these emotions tended to be
exaggerated in high-profile situations, she said. When contacted by The Press, Ellis
referred the reporter to his lawyer. A spokesman for Ellis's lawyer, Judith
Ablett-Kerr, QC, said her office was preparing a petition for leave to apply
to the Privy Council to overturn his 1993 convictions and anticipated it
would be heard before the end of the year.
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