State MP Frank Maguire slams Cardinal George Pell over church sex abuse evidence

By Matt Johnston
Herald Sun
August 20, 2014

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/state-mp-frank-maguire-slams-cardinal-george-pell-over-church-sex-abuse-evidence/story-fni0fit3-1227031212190

Cardinal George Pell.

CARDINAL George Pell has been blasted by state Labor MP Frank McGuire over evidence provided about a paedophile priest during a parliamentary inquiry.

Calling for a fresh investigation into the Catholic Church’s response to decades-long sex offences committed in Doveton — uncovered in the 1980s and 1990s — Mr McGuire accused Cardinal Pell of glossing over crimes of former priest Peter Searson.

He said that when Cardinal Pell was questioned about Searson at the recent Victorian parliamentary inquiry into child sex abuse, Cardinal Pell said “no conviction was recorded for Searson on sexual misbehaviour”.
Mr McGuire told parliament while courts did not convict Searson, documents he had obtained showed that the church’s Melbourne Response, led by independent commissioner Peter O’Callaghan, had found Fr Searson was “guilty of sexual abuse of two girls”.

Last night the church fired back at Mr McGuire.

A statement released says: “in his evidence to the inquiry, Cardinal Pell drew attention to Mr O’Callaghan’s investigation into Fr Searson”.

“Cardinal Pell’s written submission to the Victorian Inquiry both confirmed the existence of Mr O’Callagahan’s investigation and that the Independent Commissioner upheld the complaints against Searson.”

The statement said Cardinal Pell did point out, in oral evidence, that Fr Searson “was not ever subject to a criminal conviction in relation to child sexual abuse”.

The attack on Cardinal Pell comes ahead of his appearance before the federal Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Mr McGuire said he had seen internal documents from the Melbourne Response, called The Principal and the Parish Priest, which showed recommendations were made about Searson to Cardinal Pell.

As a result, Searson resigned, Mr McGuire said.

“The paedophile cluster blighted lives and destroyed the career of principal Graeme Sleeman, the whistleblower who exposed the cover-up and has been shunned by Catholic education since 1987 after revealing the truth,” Mr McGuire said.

“The Royal Commission’s cross-examination of Cardinal Pell may be the last public opportunity to determine the truth concerning who protected children and who protected pedophiles.”