Call for inquiry into Ellis case rejected

A parliamentary committee has rejected a call for a royal commission of inquiry into the case of convicted childcare worker Peter Ellis.

Ellis was convicted in 1993 of sexually molesting children at the Christchurch Civic Creche where he worked. 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, who has always maintained his innocence, served two-thirds of a 10-year jail sentence.

A petition calling for a top-level look at the creche case has been with Parliament's justice and electoral select committee for two years.

Committee chairman Tim Barnett said today a royal commission was not the most effective way to address the real issues emerging from the case.

The committee made seven recommendations including that the attorney-general not oppose, or oppose only in principle, a proposed application by Ellis for leave to appeal to the Privy Council.

- NZPA