Cardinal George Pell to be charged over child sex allegations: reports
Cardinal George Pell is to be charged over child sex allegations, The Australian reports.
The 76-year-old figurehead of Australia's Catholic Church is currently at the Vatican and it is not yet certain whether he will return home to face the charges.
It is also not clear whether Australian authorities will seek an extradition request to have the cardinal brought to Australia.
Victoria Police will not comment on reports Cardinal George Pell is to be charged by summons over historic child sex abuse allegations.
Victoria Police said a decision on whether to charge Cardinal George Pell over historical child sex allegations was 'imminent'. Picture: AAP
"This matter remains subject of an ongoing investigation. We expect to make a decision on this soon," they said in a statement.
"We will not comment further at this time."
Allegations emerged in 2015 from two men who said they were groped as children by the Cardinal when he was a priest in Ballarat during the 1970s.
Last month it was reported the Office of Public Prosecution had returned a brief of evidence against Cardinal Pell for the second time.
Earlier this month Victoria's highest-ranking police officer said a decision to pursue charges against Cardinal Pell would be "imminent".
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton told ABC radio Cardinal Pell's lawyers would be told first, once a decision is made whether to charge him.
"A decision is imminent," Mr Ashton told ABC earlier June.
Victoria Police will decide whether to charge Australia's top Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, over historical sex abuse allegations. Source: AAP
"There is a great deal of public interest in it [the George Pell case].
"We'll get something out soon," the commissioner said at the time.
In May Mr Ashton said the DPP advice was being reviewed, suggesting the investigation was "complex".
The lead detective and officer in charge of the Sano task force, which investigates allegations arising from a Victorian parliamentary inquiry and the royal commission into institutional child sexual abuse, had undertaken the review.
"They're working their way back through that final advice now so activity on it is not far off one way or another," Mr Ashton said.
Cardinal Pell, the Vatican's finance chief, maintained in May he is innocent of the allegations and said he will continue to co-operate fully with the investigation.
