BishopAccountability.org

Victoria Police receives advice on investigation into Cardinal George Pell

By Beau Donelly
Age
May 16, 2017

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/victoria-police-receives-advice-on-investigation-into-cardinal-george-pell-20170516-gw6dcc.html

Cardinal George Pell

Cardinal George Pell talks to the press after giving evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in March 2016.

Victoria Police has received advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions about its investigation into Cardinal George Pell, days after fresh details of historic sex abuse allegations were aired.

Detectives from the Sano taskforce, the squad set up to investigate historic child abuse allegations, will now consider the DPP's advice, police spokeswoman Creina O'Grady said on Tuesday night.

"Victoria Police can confirm that it has received advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions relating to a current investigation into historical sexual assault allegations," she said.

"As with any investigation it will be a decision for Victoria Police as to whether charges are laid. As this remains an ongoing investigation, we will not be commenting further at this time."

Police would not comment on any recommendations contained in the brief.

Cardinal Pell, Australia's highest ranking Catholic official, was interviewed by three members of Victoria Police in Rome last October. The 75-year-old took part voluntarily.

Cardinal Pell has always vehemently denied sex abuse allegations made against him.

Fairfax Media last week reported explosive details of child sex abuse allegations levelled against Cardinal Pell that are contained in a new book, Cardinal: The Rise and Fall of George Pell, by ABC reporter Louise Milligan. The allegations against Cardinal Pell relate to his time as both a priest and as Archbishop of Melbourne.

On the weekend, lawyers for Cardinal Pell strongly denied the allegations, and said they were false, "unjustifiable, scandalous, deliberate and calculated to cause the most shocking damage imaginable to Cardinal Pell".

The legal letter also claimed the publication of the book's allegations were a "deliberate attempt to influence the public opinion in a manner that would make it impossible for our client to receive a fair hearing in court should he be charged".

A separate statement from his Rome office on Saturday night, in response to a request for comment on the allegations, accused the book's publisher, Melbourne University Press, and media organisations including Fairfax Media of "interfering with the course of justice".

"Cardinal Pell will not seek to interfere in the course of justice by responding to the allegations made by MUP and media outlets today, other than to restate that any allegations of child abuse made against him are completely false." 

A brief of evidence against Cardinal Pell was returned to the Office of Public Prosecutions for consideration last year.

The Sano taskforce was set up to investigate allegations that emerged from the 2013 Victorian parliamentary inquiry into child sex abuse involving religious and non-government organisations.

The taskforce also investigates allegations of abuse arising from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Contact: beau.donelly@fairfaxmedia.com.au




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