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NZ Herald Ellis hopes Government will look with fresh eyes Convicted
child abuser Peter Ellis has high hopes that new Justice Minister Simon Power
will agree to an inquiry into his case after stating he had an open mind on
it. But the
figure at the centre of the Christchurch Civic Creche case is worried about
the influence that long-serving justice officials will have on Mr Power. A
spokesman for Mr Power said the minister had received a letter requesting a
commission of inquiry from former National MPs Don Brash and Katherine Rich,
and author Lynley Hood, who wrote a book pointing out flaws in the police
investigation and case. Mr Ellis
was convicted in 1993 of sexually molesting children at the Christchurch
Civic Creche where he worked. One of the
seven pre-schoolers he was found guilty of abusing later retracted the
allegations and three of Mr Ellis' convictions were quashed. Previous
ministers have knocked back calls for an inquiry, most recently former
Associate Justice Minister Rick Barker, in May. Mr Power's
spokesman said the minister was approaching the issue with an open mind. He
intended to seek a briefing from officials and then consider the letter. Mr Ellis
told the Herald: "I have high hopes that [Mr Power] will have the moral
courage and political will to certainly listen to the advice of the [Justice]
ministry, but to remember that if the ministry consists of the same career
bureaucrats that have been in charge of [the case] for the last 17 years ...
that they have a vested interest to leave it as the status quo." Mr Ellis
urged Mr Power to look at findings by Otago University academic Professor
Harlene Hayne, who said there was a strong risk that the evidence of children
who told of sexual abuse by Mr Ellis was contaminated by the way the
interviews were done. "There's
a wealth of information out there. I'll be most disappointed if [Mr Power]
comes back and says 'well, the advice from the ministry is that there's
nothing wrong with it'." Mr Ellis'
lawyer, Judith Ablett Kerr, said it was a golden opportunity for a fresh
Government that had previously supported an inquiry to show it meant what it
said. -
ADDITIONAL REPORTING: PA |
