Cardinal George Pell to Give Evidence to Victorian Child Sex Abuse Inquiry

ABC News
May 27, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-27/george-pell-to-give-evidence-at-victorian-sex-abuse-inquiry/4714042

Cardinal George Pell will appear at the inquiry today

[with video]

Victorian Premier Denis Napthine says Archbishop of Sydney George Pell needs to be open, apologetic, and frank when he appears before a parliamentary committee today.

Australia's top-ranking Catholic will give evidence to the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into the sexual abuse of children by members of non-government organisations this afternoon.

Cardinal Pell was the Archbishop of Melbourne between 1996 and 2001.

In its submission to the inquiry, the Catholic Church said at least 620 Victorian children had been abused by its clergy in the past 80 years.

Dr Napthine says Cardinal Pell needs to be upfront about the church's failings in its handling of abuse allegations and paedophile clergy.

"I think there is an opportunity here for Cardinal Pell to be open with the people of Victoria and Australia, I think he should be fully apologetic, should be absolutely sorry about what has occurred in the Catholic Church," he said.

"I think it's time for George Pell, on behalf of the Catholic Church, to be open and frank, not only with the inquiry, but also with the people of Victoria and Australia."

Cardinal Pell is due to appear at the inquiry this afternoon. It will be the final day of its public hearings.

Call for church to pay more in compensation

A man whose daughters were raped by their parish priest in Melbourne says Cardinal Pell should encourage the Catholic Church to lift the church's cap on compensation.

Anthony Foster's daughters Emma and Katie were repeatedly raped by their priest between 1987 and 1992.

He says Cardinal Pell should lobby the president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Archbishop Denis Hart to lift its cap on payments for victims.

He says the current maximum payout of $75,000 is too low.

"Cardinal Pell was the architect of the current scheme. Now, I fully expect that when he does give evidence, he will say I am here as Archbishop of Sydney and I have no responsibility," he said.

"I think that's rubbish. I think if Cardinal Pell supported changes to the system here, Cardinal Hart would fall in line and would accept that."

Wayne Chamley from the victims of abuse group Broken Rites says he wants more answers about the so-called Melbourne Response program set up by Cardinal Pell in the late 1990s.

"In particular the legal basis for setting up his response protocol. It seems to me that doesn't have any constitutional basis to it," he said.

"So what does it mean because it certainly hasn't delivered justice to any of the survivors."