Pell Refused to Speak to Abuse Victim: Lawyer

7 News
October 11, 2012

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The Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, has denied allegations he refused to speak to a child who had been raped by a Catholic school principal in the 1960s.

A Victorian parliamentary inquiry into the handling of child sexual abuse claims has heard Cardinal Pell would not speak to a child who had been raped by paedophile priest Robert Charles Best in 1969.

A submission from lawyer Vivian Waller alleged the child was abused by the principal of St Alipius Parish School in Ballarat.

"In 1969, he went to the local presbytery at Ballarat East attached to a church called St Alipius and he asked to speak to George Pell," Dr Waller said.

"George Pell was there and refused to see him but was present in the room when he reported to another priest that he had been raped."

In a statement, Cardinal Pell rejects the contents of Dr Waller's submission, saying he was never present when any sexual abuse claims were levelled at Best.

He says the claims are "irresponsible, untrue and are absolutely rejected".

The statement says Cardinal Pell was studying at Oxford in 1969 and was not a priest appointed in the Diocese of Ballarat at the time alleged by Dr Waller.

The Archdiocese says Cardinal Pell returned to Australia in 1971 and worked at Swan Hill in the Diocese of Ballarat.

The statement says in 1973 he received his second appointment as a priest in East Ballarat but "was never present when any allegations of rape were made by a victim against Brother Best".

The statement also says "unsubstantiated allegations and personal and false smears are of no assistance to victims or to the inquiry."

The Archdiocese says Cardinal Pell would be willing to give evidence to the parliamentary inquiry if requested.