Ballarat bishop Ronald Mulkearns multimillion-dollar estate will be used to help victims of abuse, the Catholic diocese has said. Mulkearns, who died in April, was blamed for allowing paedophile priests to continue to operate in Victoria. The late bishop left a reported $2.1m to be used by the current bishop of Ballarat for the benefit Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Ballarat’
Pell hires lawyers to cross-examine victims accusing him
Friday, November 27th, 2015
Lawyers for Cardinal George Pell will cross-examine victims who allege he was complicit in a cover-up of clergy sexual abuse. The move comes despite a commitment by the Australian Catholic Church not to subject victims of child sexual abuse to gruelling cross-examination. Cardinal Pell denies the allegations against him concerning the period when he was Read more
Victim outrage at Pell hearing in Melbourne, not Ballarat
Friday, August 7th, 2015
Abuse survivors from Ballarat are outraged that Cardinal George Pell will appear before a royal commission in Melbourne, not in their city. Cardinal Pell had been due to give evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse at the second stage of the Ballarat hearings in November. However, last week the Read more
Abuse onslaught getting to Pell: Fisher
Tuesday, July 7th, 2015
The Archbishop of Sydney has said the hammering Cardinal George Pell is taking over the handling of abuse cases is starting to take its toll. Archbishop Anthony Fisher told Crux that the cardinal has responded to most of these most recent charges several times before. “People think he’s indestructible, but I’ve sensed seeing him this Read more
Pell gives passport copy to newspaper to refute abuse claim
Friday, July 3rd, 2015Cardinal George Pell has provided a newspaper with a copy of his passport details to disprove an abuse-related accusation. Paul Lyons, 55, was raped by Christian Brother Robert Best in 1969 and, a few weeks later, appealed to priests at St Alipius presbytery in Ballarat. Mr Lyons had claimed Cardinal Pell, who was then a young Read more
Concerns Pell controls Pope’s child protection body’s funds
Friday, June 5th, 2015
A member of the Pope’s commission to protect minors has expressed concern that Cardinal George Pell is in charge of the body’s finances. Peter Saunders had previously called on the Pope to sack the cardinal, following accusations that resurfaced at a royal commission hearing in Ballarat. Cardinal Pell has repeatedly denied claims that he moved Read more
The government is a bigger obstacle to justice for victims than George Pell
Friday, June 5th, 2015
Cardinal George Pell has said he’ll return to Australia to give evidence at the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse, if he is required to do so. The recent revelations from Ballarat are so horrifying as to beggar belief and I expect he will honour the commission’s request for him to appear Read more
Pell says he is willing to go to Ballarat for abuse hearing
Friday, May 29th, 2015
Cardinal George Pell has said he is willing to travel to Ballarat to give evidence at a royal commission that is hearing horrendous accounts of child abuse. Abuse victims have called on Cardinal Pell to give evidence to the inquiry to answer questions about the Church’s response to the abuse. “So far I have not Read more
- Forgetful testimony angers abuse victims
- Earlier allegation of Pell’s knowledge of paedophile priest’s crimes
- Archbishop Fisher defends Cardinal Pell
- Nuns pulled out victim’s teeth with pliers
- Priest abused every young boy at a Victorian regional school
- Catholic celibacy does not drive child abuse royal commission hears
Pell denies allegations of abuse cover-up, bribery
Friday, May 22nd, 2015
Cardinal George Pell has strongly denied being involved in an alleged sex abuse cover-up and trying to bribe a victim to be quiet. In a statement, Cardinal Pell renewed his rejection of claims that he helped move paedophile Fr Gerald Ridsdale between parishes and tried to pay one of the victims to remain quiet. He Read more
Abuse victims take Aussie bishop to court for negligence
Tuesday, May 19th, 2015
Ten victims of a paedophile Australian priest have started proceedings in the Victorian Supreme Court against the retired Bishop of Ballarat. They accuse Bishop Ronal Mulkearns and the Diocese of Ballarat of negligence for allegedly failing to protect them and other victims, despite being aware of complaints against Fr Gerard Ridsdale. Ridsdale was convicted in Read more