The lawyers for gay Christchurch man Peter Ellis are seeking a Royal Commission of Inquiry into his conviction for child abuse in 1993. Ellis was jailed after being found guilty of sexually molesting children at the Christchurch Civic Crèche where he worked, he has always maintained his innocence. One of the seven preschoolers he was found guilty of abusing later retracted the allegations and three of Ellis' convictions have since been quashed. Ellis' lawyer Judith Ablett-Kerr has sent a letter to Justice Minister Annette King requesting a meeting to discuss the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry, a spokesman from her office has told the New Zealand Press Association. United Future leader Peter Dunne has spoken up today to support the call for an inquiry, saying Ellis deserves the chance to clear his name if he has been wrongly convicted. "There has been a widely held view for a long time that this case was poorly managed and a perception that Ellis may have been the victim of an over-zealous investigation," said Dunne. "There is a serious risk that a grave injustice has been done to Mr Ellis and there is enough doubt over the investigation and conviction, that a Royal Commission to examine his case is appropriate and necessary."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Tuesday, 29th January 2008 - 3:22pm