Pell gets access to parts of paedophile trial transcript

AUSTRALIA
The Age

December 1, 2012

A JUDGE has granted Cardinal George Pell access to select passages from the transcript of the trial of convicted paedophile and Catholic brother Robert Charles Best.

County Court judge Roy Punshon said on Friday he had come to a pragmatic decision to allow Cardinal Pell limited access to the transcript.

Lawyers for Cardinal Pell had applied to the court for access to the transcript of the trial involving Best and one of his victims so he could have the information before he was expected to be called before the Victorian parliamentary inquiry investigating how churches dealt with sex abuse.

The victim, known as V2, claims Cardinal Pell was present when the boy told another priest he had been raped by Best.

Cardinal Pell has described the victim’s claims as ”irresponsible, untrue” and said they were ”absolutely denied”.

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