Anonymous Host

On Thursday January 30, a little over a month after the police investigation into the allegations against Peter Ellis was closed, one child disclosed something to her mother.

Seven-year-old Mandy, not her real name, had never attended the creche, but her younger siblings had.

Her mother, referred to by the pseudonym of Miss Arbutus, was a social worker.

She'd been an early supporter of Ms Magnolia and had helped organise the parents' meeting two months earlier.

Sometimes Mandy visited the creche with her mother to collect her siblings.

Mandy told her mother that Peter Ellis had abused her during some of these five to ten minute windows.

An interview with DSW worker Sue Seide was arranged.

Mandy told Sue Sidey that she'd been in the area of the creche for older children playing a xylophone when Peter Ellis approached her on stilts.

When Sue interrupted to clarify if Peter was really on stilts, Mandy amended her description and said he wasn't, before continuing.

He came along and he touched, touched, touched, touched me, touched, touched.

Then I said no and then I ran away and so did him because he didn't want to be caught because I always knew it was him.

Mandy indicated that Peter had touched her under her clothing and attempted to digitally penetrate her.

Mandy's disclosure had an immediate effect and resulted in Detective Colin Eade launching a second investigation.

More disclosures soon followed.

By late February, more and more children were making allegations, which grew increasingly shocking in nature.

Some alleged that Peter Ellis had shown them his penis and forced them to perform oral sex.

Others said he had touched their genitals.

He had poured water from a hose into a cup before ejaculating into it and making the children drink it.

He also forced them to drink his urine and eat his faeces.

One girl said the reason she hadn't reported the abuse until now was because he just said don't tell your parents or else you'll turn into a gherkin and get eaten up.