AUSTRALIA
The Australian
May 18, 2017
TESSA AKERMAN
ReporterMelbourne
@TessaAkerman
PIA AKERMAN
ReporterMelbourne
@pia_akerman
Cardinal George Pell is expected to return to Australia voluntarily if police lay charges over historical sex-abuse allegations but health fears could force him to take a slow sea voyage.
As Victoria Police detectives weigh up whether to initiate proceedings after further advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, senior Australian Catholics threw their support behind the cardinal and turned on his critics for denying him a “fair go”.
Cardinal Pell, 75, is serving as prefect of the secretariat of the economy to the Vatican, a role he has held since 2014.
He has strenuously denied all allegations. Although Australia has no extradition treaty with the Vatican, supporters of Cardinal Pell believe Australia’s most senior Catholic would return home voluntarily to face court if he were charged on a brief of evidence that prosecutors have now sent back to detectives for a second time, without a recommendation on court action.
Speaking in Rome, Cardinal Pell strongly denied any wrongdoing, declaring: “I’d just like to restate my innocence, I stand by everything I’ve said at the royal commission and in other places.’’
Asked if he was prepared to return, Cardinal Pell replied: “I will continue to co-operate fully.”
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.