Australian Catholic University staff have called for their Vice Chancellor Greg Craven to be sanctioned after he publicly questioned if George Pell received a fair trial.
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Professor Craven last week wrote a letter that was published in NewsCorp media that brought into question the jury's unanimous guilty verdict.
It was titled 'George Pell: a case in which justice never had a fair chance'.
A letter penned by National Tertiary Education Branch President Dr Leah Kaufmann, on behalf of ACU staff members, says Professor Craven's comments shed a negative light on the university.
In addition to the request for sanctions, the letter also pushes for the name of the Pell Centre to be changed at the Ballarat campus on Mair Street.
The letter was published on Twitter on Monday night by ABC journalist Louise Milligan.
An ACU spokesperson last week told The Courier the name would not be changed until the legal process was finished. Conversely, St Patrick's College removed Pell's name from one of its buildings as soon as the guilty verdict was made public.
Dr Kaufmann argues the university vice chancellor "failed to recognise the impact of the conviction, albeit provisional on victims and supporters" and contradicts ACU's role as a Catholic institution.
It also says Professor Craven's personal opinion does not reflect the stance taken by the university.
"Professor Craven's personal beliefs are not representative of staff who are concerned with the safeguarding of children, supporting survivors of sexual abuse, and who respects the judicial system of our country and its outcomes," the letter reads.
The letter also requests Professor Craven makes no further personal comment on the George Pell conviction.
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