LONDON (ENGLAND)
Australian Associated Press via The Guardian

February 20, 2018

Magistrate denies request for confidentiality reasons as Pell’s legal team prepares defence against historical sexual offence charges

Cardinal George Pell’s lawyers have been denied access to further complainants’ medical records as they prepare his defence against historical sexual offence charges.

Pell, the highest-ranking Catholic official to be charged with sexual abuse, was not in the Melbourne magistrates court on Wednesday for a brief administrative update centred on requests for a variety of documents.

After last week denying the defence access to the complainants’ medical records, magistrate Belinda Wallington ruled out another category of communications with medical practitioners for confidentiality reasons.