Cardinal Pell's lawyer urges Saunders to withdraw 'false allegations'
June 08, 2015
A lawyer representing Cardinal George Pell has asked Peter Saunders to withdraw “false allegations” against the prelate that he made on an Australian television broadcast.
In his letter to Saunders, attorney Richard Leder said that the comments Saunders made during a “60 Minutes” broadcast were “either uninformed as to the relevant history, or were deliberately selective.” Saunders, a member of the papal commission on sexual abuse, had charged Cardinal Pell with having displayed a hostile attitude toward sex-abuse victims.
Leder said that during the “60 Minutes” interview, Saunders had presented himself as a spokesman for the papal commission, creating the misleading impression that “you made the comments in an official capacity.”
The lawyer’s letter reminded Saunders that Cardinal Pell has twice testified before royal commission investigating sexual abuse in Australia, and has “refuted on oath the various allegations which you chose to repeat on ‘60 Minutes.’” Leder went on to say:
The cardinal is concerned that you knew, or should have known at the time, that each of those matters was factually wrong, and before speaking, you should have made proper enquiries to ensure your opinions were based on reliable information.
The wording of the lawyer’s letter, suggesting that Saunders showed a disregard for the truth, left open the possibility of legal action if Saunders refused to retract his statements.
In Australia, however, the journalist responsible for the “60 Minutes” report stood behind the accuracy of the broadcast. “There was nothing factually incorrect with our story,” said Tara Brown. “There was nothing prejudicial about our story.”
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
- Cardinal Pell’s lawyer demands retraction of ‘false allegations (Catholic Herald)
- Critic of Australian cardinal asked to withdraw allegations - report (Reuters)
- 'Once again the Catholic Church is out of touch and closing ranks' (Daily Mail)
- Papal commission member steps up attack on Cardinal Pell (CWN, 6/2)
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: stephen-o-rino -
Jun. 08, 2015 7:20 PM ET USA
Good for the Cardinal! I think it's about time that accusers are forced to confront reality before 'talking out of school' about priests and other religious. Assuming Cardinal Pell is speaking truth, maybe he can put the necessary pressure on Mr. Saunders to make him retract or otherwise explain his accusations. It would seem that none of the accusers is ever held accountable to their accusations, especially on the front pages of the mass media. This would do it.
