Pell Requests Evidence on Abuse Case

By Josie Taylor
ABC News
November 14, 2012

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-14/pell-requests-evidence-on-abuse-case/4371600?section=vic

[with video]

Cardinal George Pell has made a court application to find out sensitive information about a sex abuse victim, before Australia's most senior Catholic gives evidence at Victoria's parliamentary inquiry into church abuse.

The ABC was the only media present in the hearing before Judge Roy Punshon in the Victorian County Court this morning.

Barrister Marcus Hoyne, acting for Cardinal Pell, said the matter was somewhat urgent, as his client might have to give evidence at the inquiry before the end of this month.

Mr Hoyne told the court Cardinal Pell was seeking evidence from the trial of convicted paedophile and former Christian brother Robert Best.

Judge Punshon told the court he was troubled by the application and it would have to be released on the basis it was being used for a particular purpose.

The ABC understands the evidence sought relates to a victim of Best's, whose lawyer has made a submission to the parliamentary inquiry that Cardinal Pell was present when the victim reported the abuse to a Catholic priest.

In a statement to the ABC, a spokeswoman for Cardinal Pell says he disputes the victim's claims and he was out of the country at the time.

The statement says "the purpose of the application is to seek access to the facts" relating to the evidence heard at the parliamentary inquiry.

"Cardinal Pell does not propose to take any steps in the prosecution of Mr Best, nor in relation to any applications in those proceedings," the statement said.

"For the avoidance of doubt, Cardinal Pell does not seek any involvement in the proceedings, does not plan to take any action regarding the victim and does not wish to take any steps that might exacerbate the victim's suffering.

"The only purpose of the application is to obtain information for the purposes of responding to issues raised about this matter in the Victorian inquiry."

The case has been adjourned until November 23.