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peterellis Home / abuse allegations / Peter Stewart Peter Stewart - News
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One News A high profile
Christchurch businessman is vowing to appeal his convictions for child sex
abuse. Peter Stewart has
been jailed for three and a half years on seven charges dating back 40 years. Stewart, 62, allowed
his name suppression to lapse when he was found guilty last December of the
historical sex offences. He was found guilty of one charge of sodomy, one of
rape, two of inducing a girl under 12 to do an indecent act and three of
indecent assault. The son of Sir
Robertson Stewart, the founder of the PDL electronics company who died last
August, was found guilty of assaulting his victim over a number of years when
she was aged between eight and 14. His lawyer says
Stewart will appeal. "He steadfastly
maintains his innocence. An appeal will be filed against the convictions and
those circumstances," Jonathon Eaton says. The convicted child
sex abuser is the husband of Pieter Stewart, the managing director of New
Zealand Fashion Week. She and other family members said in a written
statement that they still believe in his innocence. Stewart's victim
used an umbrella to protect her anonymity as she left the court. In a written
statement her family says: "This horrible situation has devastated,
disintegrated and destroyed families, extended families and friendships...but
this is minor compared to the fact that the victim has lived with her own
private hell for most of her life." The family says the
case has brought some closure. During sentencing
Justice Graham Pankhurst told the court payment of reparation was neither
sought by the complainant nor offered by Peter Stewart. |
