George Pell Withdraws from Child Abuse Royal Commission Hearing Due to Ill Health

By Padraic Murphy
Herald Sun
December 11, 2015

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/george-pell-withdraws-from-child-abuse-royal-commission-hearing-due-to-ill-health/news-story/b4f3baecba29ff6871d08dd34839610c

CARDINAL George Pell has launched a vigorous denial of allegations raised by the royal commission into child abuse in the Catholic Church.

The Vatican-based 74-year-old released a statement to the Herald Sun yesterday, after ­announcing he could not ­appear before the commission in person next week due to a worsening heart condition that prevented him flying.

Dr Pell had applied to give evidence by videolink, but that request was rejected by the commission, which hopes he will return to give evidence in Ballarat in February.

In his statement, Dr Pell hit back at accusations his lawyers had unfairly “grilled” child abuse witnesses in the hearing over the past week.

Gerald Ridsdale leaves the Melbourne Magistrates Court.

Disgraced priest Gerald Ridsdale gives evidence in May.

Dr Pell said it was vital allegations against him in regards to what he is claimed to have seen or heard in Ballarat in the 1970s were cross-examined.

“It is basic fairness, and part of the procedural requirements of the royal commission, that Cardinal Pell has an opportunity to test the evidence of witnesses who have made allegations against him,” the statement from his office said.

The second part of the Ballarat hearings, first hosted in the town itself in May this year, are taking place in the Melbourne County Court.

This week a witness, referred to only as BWE, alleged Dr Pell had made a comment about now-jailed paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale to ­Father Frank Madden while they were getting ready for a ­funeral in September 1983.

Dr Pell had allegedly said: “I think Gerry’s been r------ boys again.”

The Pell statement yesterday said on that claim: “There were only two funerals at the particular church in September (1983), neither of which Cardinal Pell attended. And Ridsdale had not been in ­Ballarat for 10 years.”

Another witness, BWF, ­alleged this week that he visited Cardinal Pell at a presbytery in Ballarat to complain a priest had molested his brother, but he was told to go away.

But the statement from Rome said: “In cross-examination it was revealed Cardinal Pell was not living at the presbytery BWF visited and was working at Aquinas Campus at the time.”

Dr Pell had been expected to leave the Vatican — where is the Prefect, Secretariat for the Economy — tomorrow to be in Melbourne in time for his scheduled appearance at the commission on Wednesday.

Protests were expected outside the court and more than 40 Ballarat victims of Catholic priests’ child sexual abuse were expected to fill the public seats for his appearance.