AUSTRALIA
The Age
June 3, 2015
Steve Butcher
An alleged child sex offender named Neville George Pell has denied he is related to Cardinal George Pell after a Melbourne court heard he told investigating police they were linked.
In a sworn statement tendered to Melbourne Magistrates Court, a detective said when a colleague asked Mr Pell in February last year if he was related to “George Pell” he replied: “Yes, f—ing hypocrite.”
But after being committed on Wednesday to stand trial on eight charges, Mr Pell, 69, told Fairfax Media outside court he was not related to Cardinal Pell, but had “always referred to George as cousin George because he’s a Pell”.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges, which included two of rape and two of taking part in acts of sexual penetration with a child under 16.
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