Cardinal Pell Accused of Showing Sociopathic Lack of Empathy

ABC - PM
November 21, 2012

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3639696.htm

[with audio]

MARK COLVIN: Victoria's inquiry into child abuse has been told that Cardinal George Pell showed a sociopathic lack of empathy for a family whose two daughters were raped by a Catholic priest.

Today victims of child abuse by religious organisations gave evidence to the inquiry. They included Chrissie and Anthony Foster, whose two daughters were assaulted in the 1990s by a priest at their primary school in Melbourne's south east.

Emma Foster eventually committed suicide. Her sister Katie was seriously disabled when she was struck by a car after binge drinking.

The fallout happened when George Pell headed the Catholic Church in Melbourne.

Alison Caldwell reports.

ALISON CALDWELL: After 16 years, Chrissie and Anthony Foster are exhausted but still very angry with the way the Catholic Church handled their daughters' allegations of abuse at the hands of their parish priest, Father Kevin O'Donnell, in the 1990s.

ANTHONY FOSTER: O'Donnell left few physical scars, instead he left children emotionally tortured and spiritually ruined. O'Donnell and the church stole a part of their souls.

ALISON CALDWELL: Both Emma and Katie Foster were repeatedly raped by Father Kevin O'Donnell at their primary school in Melbourne's south east, from 1987 until 1992 when he retired.

Three years later, in 1995, O'Donnell was charged with child sex offences committed between 1946 and 1977. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 17 months' prison.

The Fosters later heard how victims had reported O'Donnell's offences to the church in 1946, 1958 and 1984, but that no action was ever taken.

Giving evidence at Victoria's parliamentary inquiry into child abuse, Anthony Foster said if the church had investigated his daughters' allegations earlier they would still be alive and well today.

ANTHONY FOSTER: So here are two glaring examples of crimes that should have been reported to the police and O'Donnell removed from the ministry.

If they had been, Emma and Katie and scores of other victims would not have been assaulted by O'Donnell and Emma would be alive today.

ALISON CALDWELL: Before he became the Archbishop of Sydney and Cardinal, George Pell was the Archbishop of Melbourne.

Anthony Foster told the inquiry about a mediation meeting with the then Archbishop, George Pell.

ANTHONY FOSTER: In our interactions with the now Cardinal Archbishop Pell we experienced a sociopathic lack of empathy, typifying the attitude and responses of the church hierarchy. We had come for compassion but were handed confrontation.

Archbishop Pell arrived at that meeting with a handful of trusted verbal tools. He used phrases such as, "I hope that you can prove what you are saying in court." He used them to attack, deflect and interrupt. Meanwhile, we tried to defend the innocence of our daughter.

ALISON CALDWELL: The church offered them $50,000 but instead they decided to go to court. They eventually settled for a higher amount, which allowed them to buy two houses for their daughters.

The Fosters call on the committee to recommend new legislation which would allow victims to claim money from the Catholic Church, money which is legally out of reach in the Roman Catholic Church Property Trust which can't be sued.

ANTHONY FOSTER: Victorian legislation currently allows the church to segregate its wealth in ways that deny victims access to just compensation.

ALISON CALDWELL: Anthony Foster says current archbishops should be forced to accept responsibility for the actions of past archbishops.

ANTHONY FOSTER: Office holders should be able to be held liable in relation to the sexual abuse of children occurring during the period of their predecessors in office.

ALISON CALDWELL: And they want the inquiry to recommend mandatory reporting of child sexual offences.

ANTHONY FOSTER: Anybody with knowledge of the sexual assault of a child should be mandated to report. It's that serious.

ALISON CALDWELL: The Fosters' two surviving daughters, Katie, who needs 24 hour care, and Aimee sat alongside their parents at today's hearing.

Aimee Foster wasn't raped but she described what it's been like growing up with her sisters' torment.

AIMEE FOSTER: Seeing countless overdoses, ambulances to the house, cuts, self-harm, hospital visits, Katie's injuries as well. I'm on anti-depressants. I see a psychiatrist every week. I have panic attacks and dream about Emma a lot, that she's actually alive and I do always fantasise about what our life would have been like.