Conviction

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Legacy Oct 11, 2023

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Peter Ellis was released from prison in 2000 - but that was by no means the end of the story. This episode looks at life after prison and the huge impact this case has had on the whole country.

To see more images and details about Peter Ellis and the series, vist the website here.

We'll never be sure what happened when Peter Ellis worked at the Christchurch Civic Creche that lead to the shocking accusations by some of the children who went there.

Over 30 years later we reveal personal and often painful appraisals by key players whose lives have been changed forever by the case and the events surrounding it. And just months before his death, what is Peter's perspective on the perfect storm that he was the centre of?

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2,416 Days Oct 11, 2023

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Peter Ellis spent more than seven years in prison, for a crime he says he didn't commit. He and others describe his time behind bars and the many surprises and revelations he faced.

To see more images and details about Peter Ellis and the series, vist the website here.

Peter Ellis is found guilty of 16 counts of abuse in relation to 7 children and is sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The shock of life in a Maximum Security prison is profound, but there is also help and support from surprising quarters. Then, after 15 months, one of the most credible complainant children retracts her evidence and an appeal is planned. Is this a chance at hope?

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Turns Oct 09, 2023

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Tensions run high as the High Court trial of Peter Ellis reaches its conclusion.

To see more images and details about Peter Ellis and the series, visit the website here.

The trial grinds on, loyalties are tested, and a sense of exhaustion sets in.

Are there, as Ellis and his supporters claim, abuses of power by key witnesses such as leading child psychologist Karen Zelas, key members of the police team, and some of the complainant parents? Is there medical evidence of the abuse? And will Rob Harrison, the defence lawyer, call Peter Ellis to the stand?

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Twists Oct 08, 2023

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The High Court trial into child abuse at the Christchurch Civic Creche begins on Monday, 26 April, 1993. Peter Ellis is charged with 28 counts against 13 children.

To see more images and details about Peter Ellis and the series, vist the website here.

Peter Ellis's friends rally round to help him scrub up his image and the trial begins.

As the High Court trial opens, Peter Ellis finds himself before a conservative Catholic judge and a compromised jury with personal connections to some of the complainants.

The tension and divisions this case has engendered has serious consequences.

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11 Long Weeks Oct 05, 2023

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As the divisions in the community intensify, one year on from those first allegations, the preliminary court hearing against Peter Ellis and the four women begins.

To see more images and details about Peter Ellis and the series, vist the website here.

Together the five child care workers face 60 charges of sexual offending against 20 children.

Over 11 weeks, dozens of people give evidence, from the children and their families to police, other creche teachers and various experts.

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The Women Oct 04, 2023

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Four female creche workers are arrested in a series of raids on their homes. A damning report into the creche culture is release and the child care centre is abruptly closed.

To see more images and details about Peter Ellis and the series, vist the website here.

By late 1992, four female creche workers had also been accused of abuse and arrested by police.

Debbie Gillespie and Marie Keys describe the day the police knocked on their doors and all the woman talk about the impact of their arrests.

Then, out of the blue, the creche is closed leaving many creche staff wondering if they'll be next.

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Spikehead, Stupidhead & Boulderhead Oct 03, 2023

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The children's stories get more and more bizarre and suddenly, others are in the frame too.

To see more images and details about Peter Ellis and the series, vist the website here.

By October 1992, 119 children have been interviewed and their allegations range from violent nude dancing to rape and murder.

Expert opinion varies on why children would make up such claims, but the parents couldn't imagine where the ideas would come from, unless the children had experienced horrific abuse.

And more disclosures mean more suspects - four other creche teachers and Peter Ellis' mother are accused of being involved.

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Total Recall Oct 03, 2023

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As more and more children come forward with accounts of abuse, we look at what the role the parents, police and expert child interviewers may have played.

To see more images and details about Peter Ellis and the series, vist the website here.

What's happening for the 3 to 5 year old children at the centre of the investigation, some of whom are put through hours of questioning by professionals feeling their way in a relatively new field?

How could happy, healthy, innocent kids come up with such distressing, and at times wildly fantastical stories? Memory specialists and child psychologists discuss the merits of children's testimony.

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Money Talks Oct 01, 2023

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Peter Ellis is arrested and charged with child sexual abuse. Creche parents are panicked and horrified. But what has really been happening at the creche?

To see more images and details about Peter Ellis and the series, vist the website here.

The day Peter turns 34 his house is searched for incriminating material to corroborate the accusations of paedophilia and when he's arrested, all the rumours are front page news.

A leading child sexual abuse expert reassures the public that there are processes in place to protect the children who are victims, but not all the parents buy into the accusations and seek to distance themselves and their children from the on-going investigation.

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The Perfect Storm Sep 28, 2023

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As more and more children came forward with claims of sexual abuse, we ask whether international events were influencing the case in Christchurch.

To see more images and details about Peter Ellis and the series, vist the website here.

As in similar cases a few years earlier in the US and Australia, rumours of ritual satanic abuse emerge amidst a rising tide of moral panic swirling around the beleaguered creche.

A second child makes an accusation and police activity amps up interviewing parents and engaging an expert to interview children. No one speaks to Peter - withdrawn, now unemployed and stunned by the accusations.

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