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George Pell to be called to second royal commission hearings in Ballarat
By Melissa Davey
Cardinal George Pell has been asked to give evidence to the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse at its second hearings in Ballarat later this year. On Monday afternoon, a commission spokeswoman said a person living overseas could not be summonsed by the commission to appear. However, the commission had received a letter from Pell indicating that he was prepared to come to Australia to give evidence, the spokeswoman said. “The royal commission will ask him to give evidence in the second of the Ballarat hearings,” she said. Pell has repeatedly denied allegations of covering up abuse and has said he has always cooperated fully with the royal commission. The announcement follows a call by child sexual abuse victim Peter Saunders for Cardinal George Pell to be removed. Saunders established the National Association for People Abused in Childhood in Britain 16 years ago and in December he was hand-picked by Pope Francis to lead the Vatican’s commission for the protection of children. Saunders told Australia’s Channel Nine news that Pell, appointed by Francis to control the Vatican’s finances and one of his most trusted advisors, should be removed from his position given the allegation in the royal commission that he covered up the crimes of paedophile priests. Judy Courtin, from Monash University’s law faculty, has extensively researched abuse within the Catholic church and said the conflict was problematic for the Vatican, given both men were appointed by Francis. “It will have set the cat among the pigeons,” Courtin said. “They’ll be running around in the Vatican with their advisors about how to manage this. Pell and Francis are supposed to be buddies, they like each other, but Saunders was also appointed by Francis.” Saunders would be viewed by victims as a hero for his comments, she said. In the interview that aired on Sunday night, Saunders said Pell would prove “a massive, massive thorn in the side of Pope Francis’s papacy if he’s allowed to remain”. Pell had shown disregard for victims of child sexual abuse through his repeated denial of any knowledge of abuse within the church, Saunders said, describing Pell as “almost sociopathic”. In response to the interview, Pell said he was considering his legal options, a move which Courtin described as “highly insulting to victims”. Her research had found in order to achieve justice, victims needed to be able to tell their story, and also to feel that senior figures in the institution where the abuse occurred were held to account. “Victims want to tell their own truth, but they want an equal exchange of the truth from the hierarchy about what happened,” she said. The chief executive of the Care Leavers Australia Network, Maureen Cuskelly, whose organisation supports survivors of sexual abuse within institutions, said it was “concerning” that Pell was considering his legal options. “He seems more concerned with protecting his reputation than supporting victims,” she said. “Nothing Saunders said hasn’t been said before.” Guardian Australia has requested comment from the Vatican but had not received a response at time of publishing. However in a statement, Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart said he wanted to assure the community that he and Pell were “deeply saddened by the abuse that has been suffered and the failures of many in our church to respond appropriately”. “I am a long-time friend and brother priest of Cardinal Pell,” Hart said. “I know Cardinal Pell to be a good man, an honest man, a man of the church who loves Australia.” Hart said Pell was “determined to address the evil of clergy sexual abuse in the church, to deal with the perpetrators and to provide healing for victims [and] survivors”. “I hope all Australians who believe in a fair go will give Cardinal Pell the opportunity to answer the criticisms that have been raised in both the royal commission and the media before drawing any final conclusions,” he said. During hearings of Australia’s royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse, held in the Victorian town of Ballarat last week, a victim of notorious paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale accused Pell of bribing him to keep quiet about the abuse. The commission also heard Pell was involved in the decision to move Ridsdale between parishes when his abuses came to light. Pell has repeatedly denied allegations of covering up abuse and has said he has always cooperated fully with the royal commission.
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