George Pell: security nightmare awaits return home

Security for George Pell could present a logistic nightmare if he returns home.

Security arrangements for George Pell could present a logistics nightmare for the Victorian court ­system if the cardinal returns home, with experts warning that it will take the resources of the police as well as private security services to deal with the global interest in the case.

With a court date set for July 26 at the Melbourne Magistrates Court, Cardinal Pell’s return would likely prompt special ­arrangements to be implemented to deal with the intense and international public scrutiny.

Michael Raffoul, a risk adviser from Melbourne-based private sec­urity company Guardia Risk, said Cardinal Pell’s return would be logistically complex.

“This is an extremely sensitive issue with exposure of all sorts of logistics that must be taken very seriously,” he said. “Cardinal Pell is tied with the Vatican so I believe their own extreme level of security would be in force.

“On arrival to Australia, the AFP would most definitely be ­involved in the safe escort of the cardinal.

“In the event Cardinal Pell is not tied to any Vatican security and our company were to be ­engaged to do such an exercise, a minimum of three convoy SUVs would be used for his transport to (try) to hide his identity from the public and prevent the media knowing what vehicle he is in.

“I (would) also suggest six bodyguards (unarmed as Australian law restricts armed bodyguards) to be deployed. Security staff would be treated like everyday citizens in the courts and wouldn’t be treated any way different to others also in attendance.”

The Victorian state government announced a $1.1 million upgrade to the Melbourne Magis­trates Court and Children’s Court in November, after concerns about community safety, with $855,000 to be spent on overhauling the foyer and entry-screening process.

A spokeswoman from Court Services Victoria said the organisation did not comment on security for specific cases or situations, but it worked with police to organise appropriate arrangements for various cases.

“Court Services Victoria works closely with Victoria Police to ­ensure appropriate security measures are in place to protect all court and tribunal users, buildings and precincts,” she said.

In 2015, when the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was probing the Melbourne Arch­diocese, graffiti appeared on the Melbourne County Court building calling for Cardinal Pell to be jailed. In January 2016, a man who said he was the victim of child-sex abuse admitted the attack and was given a good behaviour bond.