Satanic Panic: The Peter Ellis Story

The first episode transports the viewer to a time of panic and hysteria triggered by allegations of satanic ritual abuse of children, which swept across parts of the world, including the United States. The setting is Christchurch, New Zealand, in the early 1990s, with its conservatism, white power gangs, and claims that satanic cults were committing ritual abuse in plain sight. (Text: Crime + Investigation)

The second episode tells of desperate parents, accusations against multiple abusers, and an arrest. When Detective Colin Eade and a core group of parents call an urgent meeting, the flames of fear become a conflagration. Eade is convinced that Peter Ellis isn't acting alone and that at least ten other abusers are involved. (Text: Crime + Investigation)

Episode 3 examines the early lies and promises. Up to five children a day are assessed in the police child abuse unit, some are interviewed multiple times. Panic spreads through the families, and parents are beside themselves with fear—a panic that is fueled by therapists and the police. (Text: Crime + Investigation)

The fourth episode explores the belief that an ever-growing sex crime ring exists in Christchurch. Police raid the homes of four daycare workers, rummage through a backyard goldfish pond, climb into attics and garrets, and search the families' board games before arresting them and charging them with a range of offenses. (Text: Crime + Investigation)

Episode 5 is a personal look at the events of one of New Zealand's most notorious Supreme Court trials. It's June 1993, the night before the verdict in a case that gripped the nation with its far-fetched allegations of satanic rituals and child sexual abuse. Accused childcare worker Peter Ellis spends the night with young reporter Melanie Reid, who is recording the last of her remarkable interviews in his apartment, just hours before he learns whether he will be jailed. (Text: Crime + Investigation)

"The sixth episode deals with the repeated attempts to get Peter Ellis out of prison. While he sits in his cell, there are always new developments in the case. One year after Peter Ellis's conviction, the "star" child witness retracts her testimony and claims she was never abused by Ellis. Meanwhile, a prominent Conservative politician reverses course, and the top police officer at the center of the case admits to multiple affairs with the accusers' mothers and a social worker." (Text: Crime + Investigation)

Episode 7 is a gripping look at a merry-go-round of bureaucrats protecting their decisions. A startling new book about the Christchurch City Daycare case puts pressure on an establishment that refused to see the bigger picture—not just the police and investigators, but also the judiciary and parliament. It exposes flawed procedures, interviewing techniques, and investigators at the center of a completely unsound investigation—but for Peter Ellis, it changes nothing. (Text: Crime + Investigation)

The eighth episode explores the ongoing trauma the case has left for the victims. What is life like for the girl who was described as the most credible witness, who retracted her testimony and said the abuse never happened—only to be doubted and ignored by the same institution and the same establishment? Peter Ellis also makes his final legal stand in a three-decade-long battle against power and politics. (Text: Crime + Investigation)