Dear Ministry of Justice,

I make the following request to assist me in my research.

On 9 March 1999 and 25 March 1999, Sir Thomas Thorp wrote to Val Sim about the Peter Ellis case. Please send me unredacted copies of both letters.

On 8 March 2001, then-Justice Minister Phil Goff informed the Governor-General that Ellis’ application for a pardon should be declined. He repeated Sir Thomas Eichelbaum’s (false) claims that both experts, Professor Davies and Dr Sas, “independently reached the view that the children’s evidence in the conviction cases was reliable” and “allegations arising from the [conviction children’s] later interviews did not generally form the subject of charges”. Goff also claimed, wrongly, that “the jury was fully aware of the bizarre allegations made by some of the children”.

Subsequent to Goff’s letter to the Governor-General, did officials endeavour to correct Goff’s aforementioned mistakes? Please send me copies of all communication between officials and the Minister’s office about this matter, including all communication with Goff about his claim that the jury was fully aware of the bizarre allegations made by some of the children.

According to records held by the ministry, what are all of the bizarre allegations that were made by the child complainants which were heard by the jury?

Yours faithfully,

Ross Francis