Pell accused of sex abuse cover-up (Catholic Church)

[Pale Blue Dot]

DAYS before the Pope arrives in Sydney, church documents reveal Australia's highest-ranking Catholic, George Pell, concealed details of a priest's history of sexual abuse from a victim seeking justice.

Cardinal Pell, the Archbishop of Sydney, wrote to the victim, Anthony Jones, on February 14, 2003, claiming his complaint of sexual assault could not be substantiated because an investigator had found that no other victims had come forward and that the priest, Father Terence Goodall, had denied the allegations.

However, documents obtained by the ABC's Lateline show that on the same day he wrote to Mr Jones, Cardinal Pell wrote to a second victim - who was nine when Father Goodall abused him - to say he was satisfied with the truth of that man's complaint.

Three weeks earlier, Cardinal Pell had received a report from an independent investigation by Howard Murray into Father Goodall. This advised him that the complaints of both men should be upheld, but Cardinal Pell's letter to Mr Jones directly contradicted that advice. Cardinal Pell did not respond last night. But Mr Jones told the Herald he believed Cardinal Pell should resign.

"The apology that the Pope may give has no meaning if the Archbishop of Sydney is still covering up sexual assaults," he said. " assaulted me all over again through his lies. I had to live through these two sexual assaults through his lies."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/sex-abuse-coverup/2008/07/07/1215282750977.html