Pell charges fantasy: QC
Throw case out, says lawyer
SEX charges against Cardinal George Pell should be thrown out as “fantasy”, “nonsense” and “impossible”, his QC urged a magistrate yesterday.
Robert Richter argued that Australia’s most senior Catholic was the victim of a witch hunt because of his perceived failure to single-handedly stop child abuse within the church.
In a two-hour submission at the close of a month-long preliminary hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, Mr Richter slammed the police investigation, publicity over the case and evidence from Cardinal Pell’s accusers whom he said could not be believed. The number and nature of the historical charges have not been publicly revealed, but Mr Richter told magistrate Belinda Wallington there was not sufficient evidence for her to commit his client to stand trial.
He said the investigation, which began in the absence of any complaint, was lacking, and police had automatically believed the complainants, one a psychiatric hospital patient, without proper inquiry.
“It should be difficult to destroy and lock up a citizen unless there has been a proper investigation,” Mr Richter said.
He said the bulk of the charges related to a single witness, who made “appalling allegations of very serious misconduct” which “ought to be regarded as impossible”.
“The complainants are unreliable; the complainants have made prior statements that are inconsistent, or subsequent statements that are inconsistent; their credibility has been damaged,” he said.
He said other allegations were either “the product of fantasy or mental health problems ... or pure invention in order to punish the representative of the Catholic Church in this country for not stopping child abuse by others.”
Mr Richter said that were his client sent to trial there would be questions about whether it could be a fair one, and it would be a waste of public time and money to proceed.
“What’s in the public mind is a mishmash of allegations and fantasy,” he said.
Ms Wallington will announce her decision on May 1.