Decision on Pell abuse charges 'imminent'

A decision on whether or not to charge Cardinal George Pell over historical child sexual assault allegations is imminent, Victoria's police chief says.

Detectives are reviewing final advice from the state's Director of Public Prosecutions about the allegations, which Cardinal Pell has repeatedly denied.

Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton says a decision is "not too far off".

"The decision is imminent on that," Mr Ashton said during a regular appearance on Fairfax Radio on Thursday.

Mr Ashton said the DPP advice was being reviewed by the lead detective and officer in charge of the Sano taskforce, which investigates allegations arising from a Victorian parliamentary inquiry and the royal commission into institutional child sexual abuse.

Cardinal Pell, the Vatican's finance chief, last week maintained he is innocent of the allegations and said he will continue to co-operate fully with the investigation.

Cardinal Pell voluntarily participated in an interview with Victorian police officers in Rome last October over alleged sexual assaults in Ballarat between 1976 and 1980 and in East Melbourne between 1996 and 2001.