Sydney, Australia, Jul 9, 2008 / 01:44 am
Cardinal George Pell, the Archbishop of Sydney, has denied allegations of a cover-up involving clerical sexual abuse, saying he did not intentionally mislead a man who complained of a priest’s sexual abuse. It is reported that the cardinal erroneously told the man there were no other complaints against the priest.
The allegations concern the cardinal’s response to the case of Father Terence Goodall, who was convicted in 2006 of indecently assaulting Anthony Jones in 1982.
In 2003, Reuters reports, Cardinal Pell wrote a letter to Jones saying his abuse claim was rejected, stating “as no other complaint of attempted sexual assault has been received against Father Goodall and he categorically denies the allegation ... the complaint of attempted aggravated sexual assault cannot be considered to have been substantiated."
The Australian television program “Lateline” reported that Cardinal Pell wrote another letter on the same day to a different man, who was abused as an altar boy, saying his claim of sexual abuse by the same priest was upheld.