George Pell to Appear at Abuse Commission

Sky News
July 30, 2015

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/national/2015/07/30/george-pell-to-appear-at-abuse-commission.html


Cardinal George Pell, and a bishop who was aware Australia's worst pedophile priest had abused boys when he moved him between parishes, will tell a royal commission what they knew about widespread abuse in the Ballarat diocese.

Cardinal Pell has already agreed to return from the Vatican to give evidence during the second stage of a public hearing into clergy abuse in the Victorian regional centre, which will be held in Melbourne from November 23.

The royal commission has now said then-Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns, who knew Gerald Francis Ridsdale was sexually abusing children, will also give evidence.

'The royal commission anticipates that Cardinal Pell and Bishop Mulkearns will give evidence at this hearing,' it said in a statement on Thursday.

Child abuse advocates had hoped Bishop Mulkearns would appear before the royal commission, after he did not give evidence to a previous Victorian inquiry owing to ill health.

He appeared as a witness on Wednesday during a committal hearing in the Geelong Magistrates Court for a former priest charged with sexual assault offences.

The commission has heard that Bishop Mulkearns knew in 1975 that Ridsdale had abused boys, but did not suspend his priestly faculties until 13 years later.

Ridsdale says he never told Pell, with whom he and Monsignor William McMahon shared the St Alipius presbytery in Ballarat East for about a year in 1973.

Cardinal Pell, now the Vatican's financial chief, has repeatedly rejected claims he tried to bribe one victim to keep quiet, ignored complaints and was involved in moving Ridsdale to a different parish.

The claims were aired again during the first stage of the royal commission's public hearing into widespread abuse by the Catholic clergy and other church personnel in the Ballarat diocese, held in Ballarat in May.

The second stage will be held in the County Court complex in Melbourne.

A webcast of proceedings will be provided in the Ballarat Town Hall.

It is expected to run for up to four weeks.