Australian Police Investigating Cardinal over Sex-abuse Allegations

By Francis X Rocca
Wall Street Journal
July 28, 2016

http://www.wsj.com/articles/australian-police-investigating-cardinal-over-sex-abuse-allegations-1469748582

Australian police are investigating a senior cardinal at the Vatican over accusations that he sexually abused minors several decades ago.

The case stems from accusations that Australian Cardinal George Pell, the chief of a finance body recently established by Pope Francis, sexually abused children on various occasions in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

The police commissioner of the Australian state of Victoria told a Melbourne radio station on Thursday that authorities have been investigating the accusations for more than a year and are continuing with their inquest,

The comment came in response to an Australian television program broadcast earlier this week that reported the accusations.

The police commissioner, Graham Ashton, said he had referred the charges to prosecutors, who would consider possible indictments. However, the state’s Office of Public Prosecutions said its director returned the file to the police for them to decide on any charges.