Clergy abuse survivor draws support for petition to defrock Pell

AUSTRALIA
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

May 10, 2020

By Matt Neal

Key points:
– Clergy abuse survivor Paul Levey has started a petition calling for Cardinal George Pell to be defrocked
– The petition has attracted 32,000 signatures in 48 hours
– Mr Levey created the petition following the release of the Royal Commission’s previously redacted findings, which Cardinal Pell says weren’t supported by evidence

A petition started by a clergy abuse survivor has received more than 30,000 signatures supporting his call for Cardinal George Pell to be defrocked.

Paul Levey, who was abused by convicted paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale, began the Change.org petition on Friday and said he was surprised by the response.

“The first night I went to bed and it was at 600 and I thought that was fantastic. Now, I think it’s around 32,000 signatures,” Mr Levey said.

Mr Levey was 13 when he was sent to live with Ridsdale in the presbytery in Mortlake, in south-west Victoria, where he was abused daily for six months.

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