AUSTRALIA
Brisbane Times
October 11, 2012
Barney Zwartz
Claims that Cardinal George Pell was present when a boy described being raped by a Christian Brother were “irresponsible, untrue and are absolutely denied”, the cardinal said this afternoon.
The allegations by Melbourne lawyer Vivian Waller, who is acting for more than 70 victims of abuse by Christian Brothers, were widely reported today.
Dr Waller said in a submission to the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into how churches handled sex abuse that Brother Robert Best raped the boy at St Alipius school in Ballarat.
She said the boy went back to class distressed and was beaten by his teacher until he withdrew the claim.
Later, believing a priest could help him, the boy had asked to speak to the then Father Pell, who had refused to see him, but Father Pell had been present when the victim told another priest what happened, it is claimed.
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