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Moral Panic
- Child Sexual Abuse |
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Destroyed the careers
and previously unblemished reputations of four well-qualified, experienced
and dedicated child care workers |
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Newly appointed Police
Commissioner Howard Broad was a significant figure in the investigation of
convicted child molester Peter Ellis, according to Dunedin author Lynley
Hood. Ms Hood said Mr Broad,
49, had been involved in a "couple of key events'' during the
investigation of Ellis who was convicted in 1993 on 16 sexual abuse charges
based on the testimony of children who attended Christchurch's Civic
Childcare Centre. Mr Broad featured in Ms
Hood's award winning book A City Possessed: the Christchurch Civic Creche
case. Mr Broad had been
involved early in the case and called the initial press conference when the
women at the centre of the investigation were arrested, she said. When the investigation
first started in 1992 Peter Ellis's solicitor at the time, Chris Knight, had
requested information from the police and had been faxing the police trying
to obtain details, she said. "Howard Broad
basically declined Peter Ellis's solicitor's request for information.'' over
the papers but nobody had interviewed Peter or told him what was going on'',
Ms Hood said. A TV3 documentary in
1997 which had raised questions about Detective Colin Eade -- a primary
investigator into the allegations -- driving the investigation and his mental
state also showed Mr Broad's involvement with the case, she said. The documentary alleged
that Mr Eade had propositioned a former creche mother during the inquiry and
had sexual relationships with two others after the trial was over, Ms Hood
said. According to the report
of the official police investigation when one of the mother's had complained
about being propositioned by Mr Eade "Detective Inspector Broad elected not
to confront him about the telephone call to avoid causing anxiety''. Yesterday Mr Broad was
quick to acknowledge problems the police have faced over the past few years
and pledged to make restoring public confidence in the force his top
priority. A series of unsavoury
events, culminating in last month's court case involving a high profile
police officer and two former policemen, has seen the degree of public
scrutiny increase. Mr Broad, appointed for
five years, said he didn't think bad publicity for police had been at recent
low levels for more than 30 years. "It's quite
difficult an experience to read the paper and see the police portrayed on TV
as it is.'' He said the question
for the police is "are we able to step up to the mark and answer that
scrutiny?'' Police have also been
stung by criticism of the 111 system, both for the time it has taken for some
calls to be answered and because of the way some individual calls have been
handled. Mr Broad said the
Government had since made a specific investment into communications centres
and those telephone calls will increasingly be answered. Mr Broad said recent
incidents had raised further questions about the role of the police. "Not just as to
whether we are doing the right role or not, but about who we are?'' he said. "I want the New
Zealand police to be beyond question, as the police that the public need to
have.'' The Police Association
was quick to welcome his appointment. "Police members
are encouraged that the top job has gone to a sworn police officer as this
shows the police are able to successfully nurture and develop leaders through
the ranks,'' association president Greg O'Connor said. |
