Cardinal George Pell Denies Sexual Abuse Allegations
By Liam Mannix
Cardinal George Pell has vehemently denied allegations that he sexually abused minors while a priest in Ballarat and as Archbishop of Melbourne. The Herald Sun's report on Friday evening claims Cardinal Pell is being investigated by Victoria Police's Sano taskforce for committing multiple offences, by "both grooming and opportunity". The report claims police have spoken to "numerous" alleged victims as part of their year-long investigation. Victoria Police declined to comment on the report. In a statement released by the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, Cardinal Pell attacked the report and what he claimed was a leak from within Victoria Police which had been timed "to do maximum damage to the Cardinal and the Catholic Church", and which undermined the work of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. "The allegations are without foundation and utterly false," the Cardinal's statement said. The Cardinal called for a public inquiry into the leak. Cardinal Pell, 74, is due to testify to the royal commission on February 29. He will give evidence via video link from Rome, where he now manages the Vatican's finances, after the royal commission accepted that he was too ill to return to Australia. Cardinal Pell has previously appeared before the royal commission twice: in person in Sydney in March 2014, and via video link in August 2014, while it was investigating the Church's Melbourne Response, established by the Cardinal while he was Archbishop of Melbourne in 1996. In his statement, Cardinal Pell said it was "outrageous" that the allegations had been brought to his attention through the media. "These undetailed allegations have not been raised with the Cardinal by the police", the statement said. "He strongly denies any wrongdoing. If the police wish to question him he will co-operate, as he has with each and every public inquiry." "For elements of the police to publicly attack a witness in the same case study that has exposed serious police inaction and wrongdoing is outrageous and should be seen for what it is," the statement said. "The Cardinal calls on the Premier and the Police Minister to immediately investigate the leaking of these baseless allegations." A Victorian government spokeswoman said: "If, as reported, there is an investigation currently before Victoria Police it would be inappropriate to comment." Cardinal Pell's statement mentions the Southwell Inquiry, an independent investigation by the Church into allegations the Cardinal sexually abused an altar boy in 1962. The inquiry, headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Alec Southwell, QC, cleared the Cardinal of any wrongdoing. Do you know more? Email scoop@theage.com.au The Cardinal's full statement: LEAKED ALLEGATIONS SPURIOUS AND FALSE – CARDINAL GEORGE PELL Cardinal Pell is due to give evidence to the Royal Commission in just over one week. The timing of these leaks is clearly designed to do maximum damage to the Cardinal and the Catholic Church and undermines the work of the Royal Commission. The allegations are without foundation and utterly false. It is outrageous that these allegations have been brought to the Cardinal's attention through a media leak. These undetailed allegations have not been raised with the Cardinal by the police and the false claims investigated by Justice Southwell have been ignored by the police for over 15 years, despite the very transparent way they were dealt with by the Cardinal and the Catholic Church. The Cardinal has called for a public inquiry into the leaking of these spurious claims by elements in the Victorian Police in a manner clearly designed to embarrass the Cardinal, in a case study where the historical failures of the Victorian Police have been the subject of substantial evidence. These types of unfair attacks diminish the work of those good officers of the police who are diligently working to bring justice to victims. The Phillip Island allegations have been on the public record for nearly 15 years. The Southwell Report which exonerated Cardinal Pell has been in the public domain since 2002. The Victorian police have taken no steps in all of that time to pursue the false allegations made, however the Cardinal certainly has no objection to them reviewing the materials that led Justice Southwell to exonerate him. The Cardinal is certain that the police will quickly reach the conclusion that the allegations are false. The Victorian Police have never sought to interview him in relation to any allegations of child sexual abuse and apart from the false allegations investigated by Justice Southwell, the Cardinal knows of no claims or incidents which relate to him. He strongly denies any wrongdoing. If the police wish to question him he will co-operate, as he has with each and every public inquiry. In the meantime, the Cardinal understands that several media outlets have received confidential information leaked by someone within the Victorian Police. For elements of the police to publicly attack a witness in the same case study that has exposed serious police inaction and wrongdoing is outrageous and should be seen for what it is. Given the serious nature of this conduct, the Cardinal has called for a public inquiry to be conducted in relation to the actions of those elements of the Victorian Police who are undermining the Royal Commission's work. The Cardinal calls on the Premier and the Police Minister to immediately investigate the leaking of these baseless allegations.
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