Cardinal George Pell Defended by Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart over Abuse Allegations
By Beau Donelly, Chris Vedelago
"It is very disturbing and concerning to read reports based on leaks to the media that Victoria Police has been investigating allegations of abuse against Cardinal George Pell for the past year and that his first knowledge of these allegations has come from those media reports," he said. Archbishop Hart claimed the leaks undermined the fairness of the criminal justice system and the presumption of innocence that Cardinal Pell should be afforded. He supported his predecessor's call for an investigation into the source of the leaks. In the statement, Archbishop Hart suggests the leaks are part of a coordinated campaign designed to do "maximum damage" to Cardinal Pell. Earlier this week, comedian Tim Minchin blasted Cardinal Pell as scum, a coward and a pompous buffoon in a song he performed during prime time on Network Ten's The Project.
"The leaked allegations coming at the end of a week in which Cardinal Pell was publicly denigrated and a week before he appears at the Royal Commission appear designed to do maximum damage to Cardinal Pell and undermine the work of the Royal Commission," Archbishop Hart said. Cardinal Pell has vehemently denied the allegations that he sexually abused minors while a priest in Ballarat and as Archbishop of Melbourne. The Herald Sun reported on Friday that Cardinal Pell was being investigated by Victoria Police's Sano taskforce for committing multiple offences, by "both grooming and opportunity".
The report claims police have spoken to "numerous" alleged victims as part of their year-long investigation. It is understood that Sano's investigation of Pell has been ongoing for the past 12 to 18 months. It is not known whether it is an active or open investigation based on preliminary inquiries. In a statement released by the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, Cardinal Pell said the allegations are "without foundation and utterly false" and called for a public inquiry into the leak. "These undetailed allegations have not been raised with the Cardinal by the police," it said. "He strongly denies any wrongdoing. If the police wish to question him he will co-operate, as he has with each and every public inquiry." "For elements of the police to publicly attack a witness in the same case study that has exposed serious police inaction and wrongdoing is outrageous and should be seen for what it is." Cardinal Pell said in his statement that he had been exonerated after claims of historic sexual abuse were made against him in 2002. He said those "false claims" had been ignored by police for 15 years. The complaint he refers to centres on allegations he abused a boy at a church holiday camp at Smiths Beach, Phillip Island, in the 1960s. According to the complaint, Cardinal Pell, then a student priest, fondled the young boy's genitals. Cardinal Pell, who always denied the allegations, temporarily stood down as Archbishop of Sydney in 2002 after the accusation was made. Reports at the time said an investigation by retired Victorian Supreme Court judge Alec Southwell found the accusation could not be established. The closed-door inquiry – organised via the National Committee for Professional Standards, which also oversees the abuse complaints processes for the Catholic Church, Towards Healing – concluded that both the complainant and the Cardinal were honest witnesses. "I accept as correct the submission of (counsel) that the complainant, when giving evidence of molesting, gave the impression that he was speaking honestly from an actual recollection. However, the respondent, also, gave me the impression that he was speaking the truth," Mr Southwell said. The absence of forensic evidence due to the 40-year interval since the alleged offence, the complainant's credibility, lack of corroborative evidence and Cardinal Pell's sworn denial of the accusations were key factors in the inquiry's conclusion, Mr Southwell said at the time. In December 2015, Sano taskforce detectives investigating historic allegations of abuse publicly appealed for information about sexual assaults at St Patrick's Cathedral between 1996 and 2001, during which time Cardinal Pell was archbishop of Melbourne. The investigation centres on claims that 14-year-old boys were sexually assaulted at the church. Detectives were understood to have executed search warrants on buildings linked to the church in East Melbourne, Melbourne, Maidstone and Toorak, on December 2. Victoria Police would not comment on the Herald Sun's report. "Taskforce SANO is currently conducting a large number of investigations into historic sexual offending," Sergeant Anthoula Moutis said. "Victoria Police will not provide a running commentary on these investigations as it would be inappropriate to do so. Victoria Police encourages all victims of sexual assault and child abuse, and anyone who has knowledge of such a crime, to make a report." Cardinal Pell, 74, is due to testify to the royal commission on February 29. He will give evidence via video link from Rome after the royal commission accepted that he was too ill to return to Australia. Do you know more? Email scoop@theage.com.au
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