Victorian police have referred the alleged leaks of an investigation into Cardinal George Pell to the state’s anti-corruption commission.
The investigation concerned allegations of child sexual abuse made against Cardinal Pell, which the cardinal has strongly denied.
Cardinal Pell called for an inquiry into the leaks and wrote to Victoria’s police minister requesting this.
Victoria police said it had referred the matter to the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission.
The commission will now review the case to see if it requires an investigation.
The police said they were concerned details had been made public about the investigation into allegations of historical child sexual abuse.
Victoria’s state treasurer, Tim Pallas, earlier said he did not believe an investigation into the source of the leaks was necessary.
On Monday, Cardinal Pell is scheduled to testify to Australia’s Royal Commission on Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The cardinal will testify via video-link from the Hotel Quirinale in Rome.
This will be the third time he has testified before the commission and the second time he has used a video-link to do so.
He will be asked about how the Archdiocese of Melbourne handled allegations of child sexual abuse within its institutions while he served as auxiliary bishop.
He will also be asked how the Diocese of Ballarat handled abuse allegations while he served as an assistant priest.
He expected to be quizzed about notorious paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale, with whom he once shared a presbytery.
A group of survivors of child sexual abuse in Ballarat Catholic institutions and their supporters will fly to Rome to be in the same room as Cardinal Pell when he testifies.
This came after a crowd-funding campaign raised more than A$200,000.
Cardinal Pell will be subjected to questioning from the royal commission from 10 pm until 2am Rome time nightly for at least three and possibly four nights.
He has not been allowed to have a lawyer travel from his home country to be at his side.
Cardinal Pell has said he is prepared to meet the victims who travel to Rome.
Sources
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News category: World.
