AUSTRALIA
Digital Journal
AFP
A crowdfunding campaign to send victims of child sex abuse to Rome to hear Vatican finance chief George Pell give evidence to an Australian inquiry has been overwhelmed by support, doubling its target in two days.
Cardinal Pell, formerly the top Catholic official in Australia, is too ill to travel to the Victorian state town of Ballarat to appear in person at a Royal Commission and is expected to give evidence via video-link from Rome later this month.
“The survivors of Ballarat and District child abuse feel the face-to-face hearing was important for healing and understanding,” campaigners wrote on their gofundme page.
“With the news that Cardinal Pell could not come here, it seems appropriate to get the survivors to Rome to sit in front of Pell as he gives evidence.”
Pell has always denied knowing of any child abuse occurring in Ballarat, including by paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale who abused dozens of children over two decades.
The survivors group had hoped to raise Aus$55,000 (US$39,110) to send 15 people to Rome when they launched their campaign this week, but by Wednesday had raised more than Aus$111,000 with donations still coming in.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.