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Two Men Claim Cardinal Pell Groped Them

SBS
July 22, 2016

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/07/27/two-men-claim-cardinal-pell-groped-them

Two men have alleged Cardinal George Pell groped them in a Ballarat pool in the 1970s, claims Cardinal Pell has "emphatically denied".



Two men have told Victoria Police they were abused as children by Cardinal George Pell when he was a priest in Ballarat in the 1970s.

Speaking to ABC's 7.30, the men say Cardinal Pell would grope them while they swam at Ballarat's Eureka Pool during the summer of 1978-79.

He would also often change in front of them.

"He'd undress and then he would say to us to undress," Lyndon Monument told 7.30 on Wednesday.

"So we would undress and then he would teach you how to dry your testicles and in between your bum and stuff like that."

Cardinal Pell was a priest in Ballarat in the 1970s and 80s before going on to become the Archbishop of Melbourne and Sydney.

He is now a cardinal in the Vatican.

Cardinal Pell has "emphatically and unequivocally" denied abuse allegations.

Mr Monument also claimed Cardinal Pell would play games with many of the boys while in the pool, throwing them in and out of the water, but also brushing against their genitals.

"I didn't like it, but because it was a church and he was George Pell, we just - you just weren't game to ever say anything, you know what I mean," Mr Monument said.

Classmate Danian Dignan said he didn't feel Cardinal Pell's actions were accidental.

"Fair enough, (if it happened) one time. But it got to a stage where every time he picked you up (his hand) was there. And, it was not much fun," he told 7:30.

The two men, now in their 40s, have given separate statements to Victoria Police's special child exploitation taskforce Sano last year.

Last month Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton confirmed Sano is still investigating the cardinal.

Cardinal Pell has denied the allegations, with his office telling 7:30 any claims of abuse are "totally untrue and completely wrong".

"He denies the allegations absolutely, and says that they, and any acceptance of them by the ABC, are nothing more than a scandalous smear campaign which appears to be championed by the ABC," the statement said.

 

 

 

 

 




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