Royal Commission redactions relating to Cardinal George Pell to be released

Cardinal George Pell ‘does not expect to be troubled’ by royal commission redactions, but lawyers believe they will be unflattering.

Final preparations are being made for the release of the child sex abuse royal commission redactions relating to George Pell but it will likely take weeks rather than days.

Victoria on Monday paved the way for the release of the pages blacked out from the final report when its agencies supported the move.

Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter. Picture: Gary Ramage

Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter said on Tuesday he had sought further advice from his own department on their release.

“I wrote to Jill Hennessy on 14th April asking if the release of this information would prejudice any further criminal proceedings,” he said.

“Yesterday I received a response to that letter which was communicated to the media on the same day.

“Now that this response has been received I have sought final advice from my department on the release of the documents and will proceed upon receipt of that advice which I expect as soon as possible.”

The Australian understands it is still likely to be weeks before it is published.

Mr Porter had written to his Victorian counterpart Jill Hennessy for final clarification on whether Victoria Police and the Office of Public Prosecutions were comfortable with the release of the redacted papers.

They were withheld during the bungled pursuit of Cardinal Pell over the so-called cathedral allegations.

The High Court ruled 7-0 that the convictions should be quashed, thereby freeing Cardinal Pell and finding him not guilty of the five sex abuse charges from 1996 and 1997. He served 405 days in prison before being freed.

There were doubts about the redactions being released after another complainant was being examined by police.

It now seems less likely any further court action against Cardinal Pell will occur.

Cardinal George Pell (right) speaks to police upon arrival at the Seminary Of The Good Shepherd in Sydney earlier this month. Picture: AAP

A spokeswoman for Ms Hennessy said on Monday the removal of redactions was entirely a matter for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

“The government is not aware of any impediments to the un-redacted versions of these reports being tabled and published at this time,” she said.

Mr Porter had written to Victoria after reports emerged of another complainant against Cardinal Pell, 78, being investigated by police.

Police told The Australian the release of the redactions was a matter for the royal commission and the OPP declined to comment.

Cardinal Pell has said he does not expect to be troubled by the royal commission redactions but lawyers for survivors believe it is highly likely that the redactions will be unflattering to him.

Chapters relating to two key incidents were redacted in the final report.

The first was the movement of Gerald Ridsdale, one of Australia’s worst child sex offenders, from the Western District parish of Mortlake in 1982.

George Pell (right) with Gerald Ridsdale outside court on August 15, 1993. Picture: File

Cardinal Pell was a relatively junior priest who was a consulter who helped decide the movement of Ridsdale out of the parish.

Counsel assisting the royal commission said: “It is submitted it was the common understanding of the meeting that complaints that Ridsdale had sexually abused children was the reason it had become necessary to move him,” counsel assisting said.

Gerald Ridsdale. Picture: File

“It follows that the conduct of any consulter who agreed to move Ridsdale, or indeed any priest, with knowledge of allegations of child sexual abuse made against them, is unacceptable.”

Cardinal Pell told the commission that then-Bishop of Ballarat, Ronald Mulkearns, had lied to him about why Ridsdale was being moved and that despite widespread rumours about Ridsdale and others he knew nothing about the abuse.

The commission also heard that when an auxiliary bishop in Melbourne, Cardinal Pell failed to act on allegations of violent and sexual misconduct by a disgraced priest Peter Searson, who is now dead.

Cardinal Pell said that, like Ridsdale, Searson’s activities had been kept from him, but counsel assisting argued that there was no attempt by others in the church to deceive him.

The developments come as Ridsdale has admitted abusing more children, with a further 10 counts of indecent assault and four counts of buggery against children.

It is feared that Ridsdale could have as many as 500 victims, with close to 70 confirmed cases having gone through the courts.

He is a former friend of Cardinal Pell and the pair briefly shared accommodation in Ballarat but Cardinal Pell insists he knew nothing of Ridsdale’s activities.