Cardinal George Pell Urged to Front Royal Commission in Wake of Bribe Denial
ABC News
Pressure is growing on Cardinal George Pell to front the child abuse royal commission in the wake of allegations he tried to bribe the nephew of paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale to stay quiet about sexual abuse. Yesterday David Ridsdale told the hearings in Ballarat that in 1993, after being informed of the abuse, Cardinal Pell asked him what it would take for him to stay quiet. "George then began to talk about my growing family and my need to take care of their needs. He mentioned how I would soon have to buy a car or house for my family," Mr Ridsdale said. "I want to know what it will take to keep you quiet," Mr Ridsdale quoted Cardinal Pell as saying. In a statement released late on Wednesday, Cardinal Pell again denied those allegations. "At no time did I attempt to bribe David Ridsdale or his family or offer any financial inducements for him to be silent," the statement said. During today's proceedings, Justice Peter McClellan reiterated it was important for the Church to engage with the process in light of Cardinal Pell's statement. "Just because the Church wants to act in a particular way, it doesn't bind the royal commission," he said. Abuse victim Stephen Woods joined calls for Cardinal Pell to give evidence, saying he needed to be held accountable. "George Pell should absolutely be here," he said. "He should have absolutely flown back before Ballarat was started so he could have answered some problems that he's left in his wake. "He won't do the honourable thing and look after victims. "He won't do what's right and say 'yes, let's take action before we are forced by the courts'." Paul Tatchell, who also spoke about being abused, said the issue of child sex abuse in Ballarat was "much more complex than money". "The buck has to stop somewhere and in Australia that's with George Pell," he said. Lawyer Judy Courtin, who has researched sexual assault and the Catholic Church, said Cardinal Pell's statement was not enough. "If George Pell is as sorry as he says he is, he will front up, and he'd do that voluntarily," she said. "That's what one would hope for if he and the Catholic Church were serious about its sorrow, its apologies." Pell 'continues to regret misunderstanding' Yesterday Cardinal Pell said he regretted the "misunderstanding" between him and David Ridsdale. "I was and remain extremely sympathetic to David Ridsdale, who because of his uncle suffered horrible abuse," he said. "I continue to regret the misunderstanding between us." In the statement, Cardinal Pell also denied ever moving Gerald Ridsdale out of Mortlake Parish. "I never moved him anywhere. I would never have condoned or participated in a decision to transfer Gerard Ridsdale in the knowledge that he had abused children, and I did not do so," he said. Cardinal Pell also repeated his statement that he had no recollection of a conversation with abuse survivor Timothy Green in 1974, regarding Brother Edward Dowlan. Mr Green told the inquiry that the cardinal was dismissive when he reported that Dowlan was abusing boys at St Patricks College in Ballarat. "He just dismissed it and walked out. His reaction gave me the impression that he knew about Brother Dowlan, but couldn't or wouldn't do anything about it," Mr Green said. But Cardinal Pell said he stood by his statements to previous inquiries and pointed out the transcript of a 2013 Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry was available. "As I have stated previously, I have no recollection of a conversation with Mr Green in 1974, more than 40 years ago," the statement said. "To the best of my belief, this conversation did not happen." Cardinal Pell condemned the "profoundly evil" abuse by clergy in the Church and said "suicide of so many victims is an enormous tragedy". He said he intended to cooperate fully with the royal commission. "I will address in full all matters it wishes to raise in any statement requested from me before I make any further comment," he said.
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