Sex Abuse Inquiry: Pell Admits to 'Systematic Cover-Up'

The 3aw
May 27, 2013

http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/3aw-news-blog/sex-abuse-inquiry-pell-admits-to-systematic-coverup/20130527-2n7io.html


Cardinal George Pell has told a Victorian parliamentary inquiry into child sexual abuse that he is fully apologetic and deeply sorry that child sex abuse occurred in the Catholic Church.

But he has denied there is a culture of abuse within the ranks of the clergy.

Some people in the packed public gallery today wept as Cardinal Pell told the inquiry that he agreed there had been a systemic cover-up that allowed paedophile priests to prey on innocent children.

He also said there was no doubt that crimes by pedophile priests contributed to too many suicides.

Cardinal Pell has admitted that, in hindsight, one of the worst offending priests, Father Kevin O'Donnell, should have been sacked as a priest.

He denied he personally covered up offending and he said he was ''fully apologetic and absolutely sorry'' for abuse by clergy.

Members of the committee put to Cardinal Pell that compensation paid by the church in Australia - a maximum of $75,000 - was "a pittance" compared with payouts in the United States.

Cardinal Pell admitted the figure is low when compared with the US but said it would compare favourably with other parts of the world.

He said that while the church will pay whatever compensation the law deems necessary, he doubts many victims are particularly interested in money.

Victims rights campaigner Anthony Foster, who's two daughters were abused by a paedophile priest, says its up to politicians to change the law to force the church to do the right thing.

Pell was questioned for several hours today.