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Detective Ede addressed the group, assuring them there was no need for alarm, but there were some concerns.

A staff member had been suspended.

Based on Peter Ellis' absence from the meeting, everyone quickly deduced that he was the staff member in question.

An employee of the Department of Social Welfare, or DSW, also spoke at the meeting.

While she wouldn't discuss the allegations that had been made, she told parents about warning signs they should watch out for in their children.

Nightmares, tantrums, clinginess and bedwetting.

Physical symptoms to monitor included rashes and abrasions.

They should also pay attention if their child was starting to exhibit any general behavioural changes, especially behaviour that seemed sexual in nature.

She recommended books parents could read to their children that addressed sexual abuse in an age-appropriate manner, such as the 1983 publication A Very Touching Book by therapist Jan Hindman.

But parents were not to question their children themselves.

Interviewing children about sexual abuse required the expertise of trained specialists.

Over the course of the meeting, the mood became more volatile, with some parents shouting that the council would have to pay for what had happened.

Other parents took the opposite stance, with one father remarking, There's an assumption of guilt here that I find very disturbing.

A few people abruptly stood and left, describing the situation as a witch-hunt.

From that moment on, the community was split into two camps, those who were certain that abuse had taken place and those who weren't.

Supporters of the creche suspected that Peter Ellis was being unfairly targeted due to homophobia and was being scapegoated.

Following the meeting, parents began to observe their children closely for the signs listed by the DSW employee.

Upon seeing them, some parents couldn't resist asking more direct questions.

None of the children made any disclosures about sexual abuse, though some complained about Peter's roughhousing.

Sue Seide, an employee with the DSW, conducted formal interviews with a number of the children as well.