Two new accusers say George Pell abused them when they were boys in the 1970s
For years Bernie was convinced that if he reported the abuse, he would not be believed.
"I would hear Pell's become Bishop," Bernie says. "Pell's become Archbishop. Pell's become a Cardinal. Who's gonna believe a little boy from a home against that conglomerate? You know against that bloody goliath?"
This is the first time Bernie has told his story publicly, but in March 2016, Victoria Police contacted Bernie as part of a wide-ranging investigation of historical sexual abuse allegations against Pell.
That investigation led to Pell's conviction on charges of abusing two choir boys in Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral in the 1990s.
Additional allegations, including Bernie's, were either withdrawn, dismissed or dropped when a planned second trial of George Pell was abandoned by the Victorian DPP.
Pell is currently in prison, awaiting the outcome of an appeal to the high court against his conviction. Pell says he is innocent of all sexual abuse allegations.
Bernie was abandoned by his mother at birth in 1966. He was made a ward of the state and placed in a Catholic orphanage in Ballarat, run by the Sisters of Nazareth.
Bernie says he met Father George Pell at the home when he was a young boy and came to look on him as a father figure.
He remembers Pell being in the home at shower time.
"Before I know it, he's soaping my genitals … soaping me all over … rubbing his hand up my butt crack and 'wash there properly' and all this sort of stuff."
Bernie says he remembers a particular occasion when Pell touched his penis.
"He was lathering me up and he pulled my foreskin over the head of my penis and that hurt, that really hurt. … he said it's normal, it won't hurt as much as the time goes on."
During the 2018 committal proceedings at Melbourne Magistrates' Court, Pell's defence team argued that Pell had only been to Nazareth House once, in 1980 when the home was closing. The current regional superior of the Sisters of Nazareth, Sister Margaret O'Keefe told the ABC that Father Pell had never been to the home.
A second boy from Nazareth House, Peter Clarke, claims that George Pell indecently touched him in the swimming pool at the boys' hom...
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director