AUSTRALIA
SBS
AAP
The hype surrounding Cardinal George Pell may be allowing others in the Catholic Church to fly under the radar over the handling of child sex abuse, observers say.
Australia’s most senior Catholic, described as a “lightning rod” for anger at the church, will this week be questioned about pedophile clergy in Victoria’s Ballarat diocese and the Melbourne archdiocese.
Lawyer Dr Judy Courtin said Cardinal Pell’s appearance at the child sex abuse royal commission was significant given his seniority but others must also be held accountable.
“They don’t want to get lost under the radar,” said Dr Courtin, who specialises in institutional sexual abuse.
“Although Pell has to be accountable so do all the others.”
Dr Wayne Chamley of clergy victims’ advocacy group Broken Rites also believes others in the Catholic Church hierarchy are hiding behind all the attention on the third most powerful person in the Vatican.
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