The Royal Commission will hold a public hearing commencing Monday 22 February 2016 at the Ballarat Magistrates Court.
The scope and purpose of the public hearing is to inquire into:
The response of the Catholic Diocese of Ballarat and other Catholic Church authorities in Ballarat to allegations of child sexual abuse against clergy or religious.
The response of the Congregation of the Christian Brothers in St Patrick’s Province, Australia, to allegations of child sexual abuse against Christian Brothers.
Any related matters.
Cardinal George Pell will give evidence from 29 February 2016 by video link from Rome concerning Case Study 35: Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and Case Study 28: Catholic Church authorities in Ballarat. The Royal Commission will sit in Sydney and, in accordance with a request from Cardinal Pell, the hearing will commence at 08:00am AEDT.
The Trench Room at Ballarat Town Hall will be made available for members of the community during the public hearing, including Cardinal Pell’s evidence.
