AUSTRALIA
Herald Sun
AAP MAY 28, 2013
CARDINAL George Pell’s appearance at Victoria’s child sex abuse inquiry was “a cynical exercise in damage control”, a barrister and victims’ advocate says.
Bryan Keon-Cohen QC says Cardinal Pell’s statements at Monday’s inquiry hearing lacked conviction and he tried to evade responsibility.
“My response to Cardinal Pell’s evidence, being as fair as I can, is that it was to me a rather cynical exercise in damage control,” Dr Keon-Cohen, president of community lobby group COIN (Commission of Inquiry Now), told ABC Radio in Melbourne.
“He offered a lot of words, he offered apologies, remorse, but to me it lacked conviction.”
He said Cardinal Pell, who is a former Archbishop of Melbourne, followed the line used by Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart last week at the inquiry.
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