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| Cardinal Pell hits back at claims he is 'under investigation' over child abuse allegations | Cardinal Pell hits back at claims he is 'under investigation' over child abuse allegations |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Cardinal George Pell has strongly denied allegations of involvement in child sexual abuse, saying they are without foundation and utterly false after reports he is being investigated for “multiple offences” while serving in senior positions within the church in Australia. | Cardinal George Pell has strongly denied allegations of involvement in child sexual abuse, saying they are without foundation and utterly false after reports he is being investigated for “multiple offences” while serving in senior positions within the church in Australia. |
| Police would not comment on Friday night whether they are investigating Pell, who is Australia’s most senior Catholic and the head of the Vatican’s secretariat for the economy, over the allegations. | Police would not comment on Friday night whether they are investigating Pell, who is Australia’s most senior Catholic and the head of the Vatican’s secretariat for the economy, over the allegations. |
| Pell has called for a public inquiry to be conducted into the Victorian police, saying the allegations were leaked to damage him. | Pell has called for a public inquiry to be conducted into the Victorian police, saying the allegations were leaked to damage him. |
| News Corp Australia claims detectives from taskforce Sano have compiled a dossier containing allegations that Pell committed “multiple offences” when he was a priest in Ballarat, a town in the state’s west, and also when he was working with the archbishop of Melbourne. | News Corp Australia claims detectives from taskforce Sano have compiled a dossier containing allegations that Pell committed “multiple offences” when he was a priest in Ballarat, a town in the state’s west, and also when he was working with the archbishop of Melbourne. |
| Police also refused to answer general questions about whether they were investigating claims related to historical child sexual abuse related to the diocese of Ballarat or the archdiocese of Melbourne. | Police also refused to answer general questions about whether they were investigating claims related to historical child sexual abuse related to the diocese of Ballarat or the archdiocese of Melbourne. |
| However, according to the report, the investigation by Sano detectives has been taking place for the past year. A dossier compiled by the detectives says Pell allegedly sexually abused minors “by both grooming and opportunity”. | However, according to the report, the investigation by Sano detectives has been taking place for the past year. A dossier compiled by the detectives says Pell allegedly sexually abused minors “by both grooming and opportunity”. |
| “We can not comment on investigations into any individuals,” Victoria police told Guardian Australia on Friday night. | “We can not comment on investigations into any individuals,” Victoria police told Guardian Australia on Friday night. |
| The allegations were “clearly designed to do maximum damage to the cardinal and the Catholic church and undermine the work of the [Australian] royal commission [into institutional responses to child sexual abuse],” a spokesman from the Vatican in Rome told the Guardian. | The allegations were “clearly designed to do maximum damage to the cardinal and the Catholic church and undermine the work of the [Australian] royal commission [into institutional responses to child sexual abuse],” a spokesman from the Vatican in Rome told the Guardian. |
| Pell is due to give evidence to the commission on 29 February via videolink from Rome. Pell was initially due to fly to Melbourne in December to give evidence in person, but he cancelled at the last minute, with his lawyers tendering medical documents to the commission which said Pell was too ill to fly. | Pell is due to give evidence to the commission on 29 February via videolink from Rome. Pell was initially due to fly to Melbourne in December to give evidence in person, but he cancelled at the last minute, with his lawyers tendering medical documents to the commission which said Pell was too ill to fly. |
| The commission waited until February to see if Pell’s condition would improve enough for him to make the trip, but after Pell’s lawyers again tendered medical documents saying he was too ill, the commission chair, Justice Peter McClellan, agreed to allow Pell to give his evidence from Rome. | The commission waited until February to see if Pell’s condition would improve enough for him to make the trip, but after Pell’s lawyers again tendered medical documents saying he was too ill, the commission chair, Justice Peter McClellan, agreed to allow Pell to give his evidence from Rome. |
| It prompted a very public campaign led by child sexual abuse survivors and their supporters to raise money to send victims of the church to Rome to witness Pell give his evidence. The campaign has raised almost $200,000. | It prompted a very public campaign led by child sexual abuse survivors and their supporters to raise money to send victims of the church to Rome to witness Pell give his evidence. The campaign has raised almost $200,000. |
| Child sexual abuse victims have been waiting to hear Pell answer questions about the way the archdiocese of Melbourne responded to allegations of child sexual abuse, and about his alleged role in moving a paedophile priest in Ballarat between parishes while he was an assistant priest at Ballarat East from 1973 to 1983, a period when several Catholic priests sexually assaulted young boys. | Child sexual abuse victims have been waiting to hear Pell answer questions about the way the archdiocese of Melbourne responded to allegations of child sexual abuse, and about his alleged role in moving a paedophile priest in Ballarat between parishes while he was an assistant priest at Ballarat East from 1973 to 1983, a period when several Catholic priests sexually assaulted young boys. |
| A survivor of abuse, David Risdale, also alleged while giving evidence last year that Pell encouraged him to keep quiet about the abuse he had endured. | A survivor of abuse, David Risdale, also alleged while giving evidence last year that Pell encouraged him to keep quiet about the abuse he had endured. |
| Cardinal Pell’s media director in Australia, Katrina Lee, told Sky News that she had contacted the cardinal in Rome and alerted him to the allegations. | Cardinal Pell’s media director in Australia, Katrina Lee, told Sky News that she had contacted the cardinal in Rome and alerted him to the allegations. |
| “He decided he would issue a very strong statement saying that they were false, they are anonymous and he has called for an inquiry as to how they actually were leaked,” she said. | “He decided he would issue a very strong statement saying that they were false, they are anonymous and he has called for an inquiry as to how they actually were leaked,” she said. |
| Police had not spoken to the cardinal, she said. | Police had not spoken to the cardinal, she said. |
| “His words to me were ‘isn’t that interesting timing’,” she said. | “His words to me were ‘isn’t that interesting timing’,” she said. |
| “He is very aware that Ballarat starts on Monday and he is aware that he is appearing the following week.” | “He is very aware that Ballarat starts on Monday and he is aware that he is appearing the following week.” |
| Pell’s office has issued a statement denying the allegations: | |
| Statement from the office of Cardinal George Pell | Statement from the office of Cardinal George Pell |
| Cardinal Pell is due to give evidence to the royal commission in just over one week. | Cardinal Pell is due to give evidence to the royal commission in just over one week. |
| The timing of these leaks is clearly designed to do maximum damage to the Cardinal and the Catholic Church and undermines the work of the royal commission. | The timing of these leaks is clearly designed to do maximum damage to the Cardinal and the Catholic Church and undermines the work of the royal commission. |
| The allegations are without foundation and utterly false. | The allegations are without foundation and utterly false. |
| It is outrageous that these allegations have been brought to the Cardinal’s attention through a media leak. These undetailed allegations have not been raised with the Cardinal by the police and the false claims investigated by Justice Southwell have been ignored by the police for over 15 years, despite the very transparent way they were dealt with by the Cardinal and the Catholic church. | It is outrageous that these allegations have been brought to the Cardinal’s attention through a media leak. These undetailed allegations have not been raised with the Cardinal by the police and the false claims investigated by Justice Southwell have been ignored by the police for over 15 years, despite the very transparent way they were dealt with by the Cardinal and the Catholic church. |
| The Cardinal has called for a public inquiry into the leaking of these spurious claims by elements in the Victorian Police in a manner clearly designed to embarrass the Cardinal, in a case study where the historical failures of the Victorian Police have been the subject of substantial evidence. These types of unfair attacks diminish the work of those good officers of the police who are diligently working to bring justice to victims. | The Cardinal has called for a public inquiry into the leaking of these spurious claims by elements in the Victorian Police in a manner clearly designed to embarrass the Cardinal, in a case study where the historical failures of the Victorian Police have been the subject of substantial evidence. These types of unfair attacks diminish the work of those good officers of the police who are diligently working to bring justice to victims. |
| The Phillip Island allegations have been on the public record for nearly 15 years. The Southwell Report which exonerated Cardinal Pell has been in the public domain since 2002. | The Phillip Island allegations have been on the public record for nearly 15 years. The Southwell Report which exonerated Cardinal Pell has been in the public domain since 2002. |
| The Victorian police have taken no steps in all of that time to pursue the false allegations made, however the Cardinal certainly has no objection to them reviewing the materials that led Justice Southwell to exonerate him. The Cardinal is certain that the police will quickly reach the conclusion that the allegations are false. | The Victorian police have taken no steps in all of that time to pursue the false allegations made, however the Cardinal certainly has no objection to them reviewing the materials that led Justice Southwell to exonerate him. The Cardinal is certain that the police will quickly reach the conclusion that the allegations are false. |
| The Victorian Police have never sought to interview him in relation to any allegations of child sexual abuse and apart from the false allegations investigated by Justice Southwell, the Cardinal knows of no claims or incidents which relate to him. | The Victorian Police have never sought to interview him in relation to any allegations of child sexual abuse and apart from the false allegations investigated by Justice Southwell, the Cardinal knows of no claims or incidents which relate to him. |
| He strongly denies any wrongdoing. If the police wish to question him he will co-operate, as he has with each and every public inquiry. | He strongly denies any wrongdoing. If the police wish to question him he will co-operate, as he has with each and every public inquiry. |
| In the meantime, the Cardinal understands that several media outlets have received confidential information leaked by someone within the Victorian Police. For elements of the police to publicly attack a witness in the same case study that has exposed serious police inaction and wrongdoing is outrageous and should be seen for what it is. | In the meantime, the Cardinal understands that several media outlets have received confidential information leaked by someone within the Victorian Police. For elements of the police to publicly attack a witness in the same case study that has exposed serious police inaction and wrongdoing is outrageous and should be seen for what it is. |
| Given the serious nature of this conduct, the Cardinal has called for a public inquiry to be conducted in relation to the actions of those elements of the Victorian Police who are undermining the royal commission’s work. | Given the serious nature of this conduct, the Cardinal has called for a public inquiry to be conducted in relation to the actions of those elements of the Victorian Police who are undermining the royal commission’s work. |
| The Cardinal calls on the premier and the police minister to immediately investigate the leaking of these baseless allegations. | The Cardinal calls on the premier and the police minister to immediately investigate the leaking of these baseless allegations. |