AUSTRALIA
Daily Mail
By Sinead Maclaughlin For Daily Mail Australia and Australian Associated Press
Advice on historical sex abuse allegations against Cardinal George Pell has been sent to Victoria Police by the state’s Department of Public Prosecutions.
It must now be decided whether Australia’s most senior Catholic official will be charged over allegations of sexual abuse.
Allegations the Cardinal abused boys while a priest in Ballarat were aired last year and a new book released on Monday makes further claims.
The 75-year-old has denied all abuse allegations made against him and called the book, titled Cardinal: The rise and fall of George Pell, ‘an exercise in character assassination’.
Victoria Police confirmed in a statement on Tuesday night that it had received advice from the DPP ‘relating to a current investigation into historical sexual assault allegations’.
‘Detectives from Taskforce Sano will now take time to consider that advice,’ the statement reads.
‘As with any investigation it will be a decision for Victoria Police as to whether charges are laid. As this remains an ongoing investigation, we will not be commenting further at this time.’
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