Pell accuses ABC of “smear campaign” following 7:30 allegations

Catholic cardinal George Pell has accused the ABC of a “smear campaign” following a report by 7:30 that police are investigating multiple child abuse allegations levelled against him.

ABC reported complaints were linked to events from the 1970s to the 1990s, during his time as Archbishop of Melbourne in the 1990s. It reported Victoria Police’s Taskforce SANO has been examining the allegations by complainants from Ballarat, Torquay and Melbourne for more than a year.

7:30 has obtained eight police statements from complainants, witnesses and family members. It said the case has been referred by Victoria Police to the Office of Public Prosecutions for advice.

A spokesperson for Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton confirmed it is “very much a live investigation”.

George Pell declined to be interviewed by 7:30.

In a statement, his office said: “The Cardinal does not wish to cause any distress to any victim of abuse. However, claims that he has sexually abused anyone, in any place, at any time in his life are totally untrue and completely wrong.”

It continued: “He denies the allegations absolutely, and says that they, and any acceptance of them by the ABC, are nothing more than a scandalous smear campaign which appears to be championed by the ABC. If there was any credibility in any of these claims, they would have been pursued by the Royal Commission by now.”

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said police had no comment, “at this time”.

Source: ABC