Cosby sues 7 accusers for defamation, Cardinal Pell told to attend child abuse inquiry after video link request denied

Cosby sues 7 accusers for defamation, seeks damages and retractions
By Ralph Ellis, CNN Mon December 14, 2015

Bill Cosby has struck back against some of the dozens of women who've accused him of sexual assault.

The world-famous comedian countersued seven women who'd sued him for defamation, saying they actually defamed him.

By saying he sexually assaulted them, the women hurt his reputation so much that plans for a new family comedy on NBC were derailed, the counterclaim said.

The women made "malicious, opportunistic, and false and defamatory accusations of sexual misconduct against" Cosby, his lawyer Monique Pressley said in a statement. They made the accusations to hurt Cosby's reputation and to obtain financial gain, Pressley said.

Cosby is seeking unspecified damages and public retractions from the seven women: Tamara Green, Therese Serignese, Linda Traitz, Louisa Moritz, Barbara Bowman, Joan Tarshis and Angela Leslie.

The lawyer for the seven women, Joseph Cammarata, issued a statement on Monday saying his clients want their day in court and "expect that their good name and reputation will be restored."

"If anyone is surprised by Cosby's actions today, they shouldn't be," Cammarata said. "He's taken a page out of the defense attorney's playbook in an effort to shift the focus of this legitimate inquiry. It is curious that he has filed a claim only against these seven women, when there are scores of other women who have made similar allegations of sexual abuse and assault against Mr. Cosby."

Cosby also denied he had sexually assaulted any of the seven women. He has not been charged with any crime. More than 40 women have come forward to publicly accuse Cosby, 78, of assaulting them over four decades, often saying he supplied them with drugs.  Cosby's lawyers or representative denied the accusations in the media....
http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/14/us/bill-cosby-sues-accusers/index.html


Cardinal Pell told to attend child abuse inquiry after video link request denied
Request from Australia’s highest-ranking cleric to appear by video link because of health reasons has been refused by chair of royal commission   Melissa Davey  Thursday 10 December 2015

The chair of the royal commission into institutional responses to child sex abuse has refused to allow Cardinal George Pell to appear by video link, instead deferring the hearing until February to ensure Pell can appear in person.

A lawyer representing Pell, Allan Myers, made an application for Pell to give evidence next week via video link from Rome rather than appear in person, citing health reasons....

Stephen Woods – who was abused by the notorious paedophile priest Gerald Francis Ridsdale and the convicted paedophile brother Robert Charles Best while a student at St Alipius primary school – told Guardian Australia that he was deeply angered that Pell would not be appearing next week....

Pell, Australia’s highest-ranking cleric, was due to give evidence about child sexual abuse that occurred in institutions run by Catholic church authorities in and around Ballarat, and evidence about measures taken by the archdiocese of Melbourne to investigate child sexual abuse, known within the church as “the Melbourne Response”, before Melbourne’s county court....
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/dec/11/cardinal-george-pell-to-appear-in-person-at-child-sex-abuse-inquiry