The extended family of Fashion Week owner Pieter Stewart are being accused of making false and damaging claims as they try to get sex-abuse convictions against Mrs Stewart's husband overturned.
Peter Stewart, 62, was convicted last December of rape, sodomy and indecent acts against a girl as youngas 8, dating back to 40 years ago.
In October , the Court of Appeal rejected his bid to have the convictions overturned.
The Stewart family claim Peter Stewart is innocent and are employing a team of their own, headed by private investigator and former top Christchurch detective Dave Haslett, to further explore the case.
Supporters of Stewart's victim say the family need to accept his guilt and claim they are "orchestrating a defamation campaign" against members of the victim's family.
"And it's got to stop, it's really as simple as that," a person close to the victim said.
"I think they are simply carrying on in the method that everyone else is to blame but Peter. And they are making scurrilous statements about people."
The Stewart family said yesterday that they would leave no stone unturned to clear Peter Stewart's name.
"We continue to have serious misgivings with the process that led to Peter's conviction."
Mr Haslett had "cast his net very wide in amassing significant information".
