By Joel Gibson, Erik Jensen and Arjun Ramachandran
The Age
July 9, 2008
http://www.theage.com.au/national/pell-denies-covering-up-sex-abuse-by-priest-20080708-3bwe.html
THE Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, has denied he covered up sexual abuse by a Sydney priest, and refused to stand aside or resign over his treatment of a 2003 sexual assault claim.
His denial was made as new claims were aired last night by the ABC's Lateline program that Cardinal Pell had rejected assault allegations by Lismore man Anthony Jones relating to when Mr Jones was a trainee teacher, despite advice from a church investigator that they should be substantiated.
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| Cardinal George Pell said his letter to a man who complained of abuse was "badly worded and a mistake". Peter Morris |
Documents aired by the ABC also showed Cardinal Pell did not alter his view or inform Mr Jones of the recommendation despite a July 2003 church report that said Father Terence Goodall was guilty of other sexual and indecent assaults, had "no boundaries" and "no sympathy for victims" and "was likely to reoffend".
Cardinal Pell said yesterday he had not contacted Mr Jones after realising he had misrepresented the investigation but considered the matter closed.
Cardinal Pell, Australia's highest Catholic, wrote to Mr Jones in 2003 saying the church's investigator had not found his rape claim to be substantiated and that there had been no other complaints against Father Goodall.
Both statements were untrue, Cardinal Pell said yesterday, but "there was no cover-up". He said the letter was "badly worded and a mistake", "an innocent error" and an "overstatement".
Documents obtained by the ABC showed Cardinal Pell wrote to a second victim the same day to say he believed his claim of indecent assault.
The documents showed Cardinal Pell was informed in July 2003 that Father Goodall had also abused a 16-year-old girl, propositioned two seminary students, invited altar boys to strip naked while swimming and had consensual sex with another adult male in 1996.
Three months after the first letter, Dr Pell wrote to Mr Jones again. He did not correct his previous letter, and maintained that: "In the end it is a matter of your word against his."
The latest revelations are an embarrassment a week before World Youth Day, and a visit from Pope Benedict XVI, but Dr Pell defended his record dealing with sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, saying he was the first to set up diocesan protocols in Melbourne in 1996.
He said his position on Mr Jones' assault had been validated by a subsequent criminal case where the prosecution did not allege sexual assault.
Mr Jones said Dr Pell was "dishonest", had caused him two nervous breakdowns and undermined an expected apology from the Pope to thousands of Australian abuse victims.
His civil action against Dr Pell and Father Goodall was settled by mutual consent last month after it reached the Supreme Court.
The agreement stopped Mr Jones from pursuing compensation, covered his legal fees, and included a confidentiality clause later removed.
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