Victoria police ‘zeroed in’ on Cardinal George Pell

Committal hearing has finished with its last witness before legal argument over whether the case should proceed to trial.

Victoria Police sought phone records of Cardinal George Pell, his sister and the current Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart but not records of alleged victims to check if they were in contact with each other, a court has heard.

The committal hearing of Cardinal Pell finished this afternoon with its last witness before legal argument over whether the case should proceed to trial.

Cardinal Pell’s barrister Robert Richter QC questioned sergeant Chris Reed, who was the lead investigator, on the questioning of alleged complainants and corroborating evidence.

Cardinal Pell, Australia’s most senior Catholic, is charged with historical sex offences relating to multiple complainants.

Mr Richter said said there was no corroborative evidence for various complainants in the matter.

“I would disagree in relation to some of it, I think off the top of my head... there’s time and place people are together,” Sgt Reed said.

Mr Richter also questioned the location of some of the charges saying it was “fairly rare” to come across allegations like Cardinal Pell’s.

“Sitting in the sexual offences list on a regular basis I can say I have,” Magistrate Belinda Wallington interjected.

Under reexamination by prosecutor Mark Gibson SC, Sergeant Reed clarified whether police had requested Cardinal Pell’s diaries.

The court heard five search warrants were executed as part of the investigation and included the Archdiocese of Melbourne’s headquarters but not the centre where archives were kept.

“It was a wide-ranging search warrant and specifically referred to diaries,” Sgt Reed said.

He said it was police practice to direct warrants to business managers.

The court heard this morning one of Cardinal Pell’s accusers had also made serious allegations against a nun.

Sergeant Reed said no charges were laid in relation to these allegations.

Today was the last day of evidence in a four-week committal hearing at Melbourne Magistrates Court to determine whether the cardinal will stand trial.

The case will return to court for submissions on April 17.

Cardinal Pell has been excused from attending on that occasion.

Earlier: Victoria police ‘zeroed in’ on Pell

Victoria Police have been accused of “zeroing in” on Cardinal George Pell and seeking extra resources because of pressure associated with the abuse royal commission, a court has heard.

Cardinal Pell’s barrister Robert Richter QC this morning linked the prioritising of the investigation into the cardinal to sittings of the royal commission.

Sergeant Chris Reed has said he doesn’t recall what made Cardinal Pell’s case a priority in April 2015, two years after Operation Tethering was launched as an intelligence probe into the cardinal, Australia’s most senior Catholic.

“I suggest extra resources were obtained because of public sentiment,” Mr Richter said.

“I don’t recall, I don’t believe so,” Sgt Reed said.

“You wanted more resources because of a sort of ‘political pressure’ if I can put it that way in generic terms,” Mr Richter said.

The court heard one of Cardinal Pell’s alleged victims had previously made serious allegations against a nun.

“Do you say, and I’m not attributing any blame to you, do you say that the allegations against Cardinal Pell was treated like any other allegation,” Mr Richter said.

“Or was there a zeroing in on him to the extent that far more serious allegations against a nun ... were not pursued by the Sano Taskforce?”

Sgt Reed disagreed with the statement in its entirety.

Cardinal Pell was interviewed in Rome by police officers in 2016 over the allegations some of which are specific to times and locations but the court has heard the police never asked for his diaries.

“He was entirely cooperative, anything that was asked of him he addressed?” Mr Richter asked.

“He spoke freely,” Sgt Reed said.

One of the allegations against Cardinal Pell relates to a former chorister.

Mr Richter told the court police had provided sworn statements of 15 other choir members however there were at least 51 choristers at the time of the allegation.

“That’s an awful lot of [choristers] who say relevant things and no statement was taken,” he said.

He read parts of statements the other choristers had told Cardinal Pell’s defence team which supported claims the then archbishop was never alone at the church while in full regalia.

Police records of one of the men’s names include the comment: “No statement taken, nil value”.

Sgt Reed said the choristers accounts “took the matter no further”.

“It was favourable to Pell’s defence and they just reinforce it,” Mr Richter said.

“If the cardinal when in robes was never alone that puts the kibosh on [the chorister’s] allegation ... for the purposes of this case in robes is the critical issue isn’t it?”