Motive: Conviction

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.
This series was first released on 12 October 2023.
To see more images and details about Peter Ellis and the series, vist the RNZ 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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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.
This series was first released on 11 October 2023.
To see more images and details about Peter Ellis and the series, vist the RNZ 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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Tensions run high as the High Court trial of Peter Ellis reaches its conclusion.
This series was first released on October 2023.
To see more images and details about Peter Ellis and the series, visit the RNZ 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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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.
This series was first released on October 2023.
To see more images and details about Peter Ellis and the series, vist the RNZ 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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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.
This series was first released on October 2023.
To see more images and details about Peter Ellis and the series, vist the RNZ 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.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details