A pastoral associate who worked at Melbourne St Patrick’s Cathedral under former archbishop of Melbourne Cardinal George Pell has told a court that the archbishop’s robes were heavy and could not be easily lifted or moved to expose oneself.
Pell is the highest-ranking Vatican official to be charged in the Catholic church’s long-running sexual abuse scandal. He has taken leave from the Vatican in Rome to attend court and has strenuously denied all allegations.
Rodney Dearing was yesterday cross-examined by Pell’s defense team as part of a committal hearing into historical sexual offense charges against Pell.
Dearing told the court that he was responsible for hanging up Pell’s robes, and he was therefore familiar with the weight and maneuverability of them.
Pell’s barrister Ruth Shann asked Dearing whether the robes were “not able to be parted in the middle to reveal one’s genitals or indeed parted to the side to reveal ones genitals.”
“No,” Dearing answered.
The court heard that two of the choirboys had said they had “snuck back inside” the cathedral building as a procession exited the building.
However, Shann told Dearing that there was a general awareness at the time when Pell was archbishop, from 1996, “of allegations coming out generally about clergy and kids,” which would have “motivated you personally and fellow adult chorists to keep a particularly close eye on the kids.”
Dearing agreed.
The defense has been cross-examining former choirboys and staff at the cathedral under Pell, and suggesting to them that two missing boys would have been noticed due to the strict expectation that choirboys were to follow the rules, the close eye staff kept on the choir, and the layout of the building and grounds.
Yesterday morning, Peter Finnigan, who used to manage the choir, told the defense that while he did not recall two boys going missing at any stage, “it would certainly be possible.”
“But they would certainly be very naughty boys if they did,” he said.
When the hearing adjourns, Magistrate Belinda Wallington is to need to decide whether there is enough evidence to order Pell to stand trial accused of historical sexual offenses.
Further description of the charges cannot be given for legal reasons.
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