Cardinal Pell welcomes court’s dismissal of abuse conviction
4 years, 9 months ago

Cardinal Pell welcomes court’s dismissal of abuse conviction

Associated Press  

CANBERRA, Australia — Cardinal George Pell welcomed Australia’s highest court clearing him of child sex crimes Tuesday and said his trial had not been a referendum on the Catholic Church’s handling of the clergy abuse crisis. Pell, Pope Francis’ former finance minister, had been the most senior Catholic found guilty of sexually abusing children and spent 13 months in prison before seven High Court judges unanimously dismissed his convictions. “The High Court unanimously — seven-nil — said the Victorian justice system got it hopelessly wrong.” Pell had been serving a six-year sentence after he was convicted of sexually assaulting the two boys in December 1996 and convicted of indecently assaulting one of the boys by painfully squeezing his genitals after a Mass in early 1997. The High Court referred to the “unchallenged evidence” of witnesses in the trial to Pell’s practice of talking to the congregation on the cathedral stairs after Mass, church practice that required him to be accompanied in the cathedral while robed and the “continuous traffic in and out of the priests’ sacristy” as causes for reasonable doubt.

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History of this topic

Civil case over Cardinal Pell abuse allegations allowed to proceed against church in Australia
1 year, 4 months ago

Civil case over Cardinal Pell abuse allegations allowed to proceed against church in Australia

Associated Press  

CANBERRA, Australia — An Australian court on Friday allowed a civil case to proceed against a Catholic archdiocese involving child sex abuse allegations against late Cardinal George Pell. The Victoria state Court of Appeal in Melbourne refused to hear the church’s challenge to a judge’s ruling that a father, identified in court documents as RWQ, was entitled to sue for …

Australian ex-priest has prison sentence extended to 40 years for molesting 72nd child victim
1 year, 4 months ago

Australian ex-priest has prison sentence extended to 40 years for molesting 72nd child victim

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy An Australian ex-priest convicted of …

Mourners call Australian Cardinal Pell victim of injustice
1 year, 11 months ago

Mourners call Australian Cardinal Pell victim of injustice

Associated Press  

SYDNEY — Mourners at the Sydney funeral for Australian Cardinal George Pell, who was once the most senior Catholic convicted of sex abuse, remembered him Thursday as a victim of a campaign to punish him regardless of his guilt. Meanwhile, a few hundred protesters yelled slogans from the street denouncing Pell, a staunch conservative who had riled gay rights supporters …

Cardinal George Pell dies: Who was the controversial Australian cleric acquitted of child sex abuse?
1 year, 11 months ago

Cardinal George Pell dies: Who was the controversial Australian cleric acquitted of child sex abuse?

Firstpost  

Cardinal George Pell, a powerful Roman Catholic figure, died at the age of 81. Pell, once widely seen as the right-hand man to Pope Francis, served 12 months in jail before a court quashed his conviction on five counts of sexually abusing 13-year-old choirboys in the 1990s Cardinal George Pell, a powerful Roman Catholic figure who died at the age …

Cardinal Pell, whose convictions were overturned, dies at 81
1 year, 11 months ago

Cardinal Pell, whose convictions were overturned, dies at 81

Associated Press  

ROME — Cardinal George Pell, a onetime financial adviser to Pope Francis who spent 404 days in solitary confinement in his native Australia on child sex abuse charges before his convictions were overturned, died Tuesday in Rome. Journalist Lucie Morris-Marr, who wrote the book “Fallen” about Pell’s trial, said on Twitter that Pell’s death “will be terribly triggering for many …

Cardinal George Pell, whose convictions were overturned, dies at 81
1 year, 11 months ago

Cardinal George Pell, whose convictions were overturned, dies at 81

LA Times  

Cardinal George Pell, who was the most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of child sex abuse before his convictions were overturned, has died. Cardinal George Pell, who was the most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of child sex abuse and spent 404 days in solitary confinement in his native Australia only to have his convictions overturned, died Tuesday. …

Ex-Cardinal McCarrick, 91, pleads not guilty in sex assault
3 years, 4 months ago

Ex-Cardinal McCarrick, 91, pleads not guilty in sex assault

Associated Press  

— Former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the once-powerful American prelate who was expelled from the priesthood for sexual abuse, pleaded not guilty Friday to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy during a wedding reception in Massachusetts nearly 50 years ago. Anne Barrett Doyle, co-founder of the online research database BishopAccountability.org, said McCarrick’s case marks a “new phase in the global …

AP Exclusive: Cardinal Pell on the Vatican and vindication
4 years, 1 month ago

AP Exclusive: Cardinal Pell on the Vatican and vindication

Associated Press  

ROME — The pope’s former treasurer, Cardinal George Pell, said Monday he feels a dismayed sense of vindication as the financial mismanagement he tried to uncover in the Holy See is now being exposed in a spiraling Vatican corruption investigation. Pell told the AP that he knew in 2014 when he took the treasury job that the Holy See’s finances …

Australia’s Cardinal Pell knew of abuse by pedophile priest, government inquiry found
4 years, 8 months ago

Australia’s Cardinal Pell knew of abuse by pedophile priest, government inquiry found

LA Times  

Cardinal George Pell, shown in May 2018, was released from prison last month after Australia’s highest court cleared him of child sex crimes. Australian Cardinal George Pell knew that a notorious pedophile priest had been sexually abusing children years before the man’s arrest and had been aware of the Roman Catholic Church’s clergy abuse problem since the early 1970s, a …

The fight for justice for sexual abuse survivors must go on
4 years, 8 months ago

The fight for justice for sexual abuse survivors must go on

Al Jazeera  

The overturning of Cardinal Pell’s conviction may feel like a set-back, but there could be a positive impact. On April 7, Australia’s highest court overturned Cardinal George Pell’s six-year prison sentence for the alleged sexual abuse of two choir boys in 1996 on the basis that the evidence presented in the case had not proven his guilt beyond a reasonable …

Why the ABC's reporting of the George Pell case wasn't a witch-hunt
4 years, 8 months ago

Why the ABC's reporting of the George Pell case wasn't a witch-hunt

ABC  

From the first trial that resulted in a hung jury, to a sweeping suppression order that set the national media and the courts on a collision course, the Pell case has polarised and transfixed the nation, and in light of the High Court ruling there is now opportunity for reflection. The Herald Sun first reported that there was a police …

Cardinal Pell walks free after Australian court acquittal
4 years, 9 months ago

Cardinal Pell walks free after Australian court acquittal

The Hindu  

Australia's highest court on Tuesday acquitted former Vatican treasurer George Pell of sexually assaulting two teenaged choirboys in the 1990s, allowing the 78-year-old cardinal to walk free from jail. The High Court ordered Pell's convictions be quashed and verdicts of acquittal be entered in their place, ending the most high profile case of alleged historical sex abuse to rock the …

Pell to walk free after Australia court quashes convictions
4 years, 9 months ago

Pell to walk free after Australia court quashes convictions

Al Jazeera  

Highest court overturns conviction of former Vatican treasurer for sexual assault of two teenage boys in 1990s. Canberra, Australia – Australia’s highest court on Tuesday quashed Cardinal George Pell’s convictions for child sexual assault paving the way for the 78-year-old to be released from prison, a decision experts warned could further undermine survivors’ trust in the court system. People will …

Australian Cardinal George Pell gets last chance to overturn sex offences conviction
5 years, 1 month ago

Australian Cardinal George Pell gets last chance to overturn sex offences conviction

The Hindu  

Catholic cardinal George Pell will have one last chance to overturn his conviction for sexually assaulting two teenaged choirboys after the Australian High Court on Wednesday agreed to hear the former Vatican treasurer's appeal. Lawyers for Pell declined to comment on Wednesday's decision, which is the cardinal's final avenue to clear his name after an earlier appeal upheld his conviction …

George Pell's appeal judges had differing opinions on his convictions. Here's why
5 years, 4 months ago

George Pell's appeal judges had differing opinions on his convictions. Here's why

ABC  

When the Victorian Court of Appeal upheld George Pell's historical child abuse convictions on Wednesday, the decision was not unanimous. Key points: Two justices dismissed Pell's appeal entirely The third said he had "genuine doubt" over whether Pell was guilty The cardinal and his legal team are expected to appeal the decision to the High Court Chief Justice of the …

Australian court upholds conviction of Cardinal George Pell in child sex abuse case
5 years, 4 months ago

Australian court upholds conviction of Cardinal George Pell in child sex abuse case

The Hindu  

An Australian appeals court by a 2-1 ruling Wednesday upheld convictions against Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Catholic to be found guilty of sexually abusing children. The Victoria state Court of Appeal rejected Pell’s appeal of the unanimous verdicts a jury had issued in December finding Pope Francis’ former finance minister guilty of molesting two 13-year-old choirboys in Melbourne’s …

George Pell loses appeal against child sex abuse convictions, may lose Order of Australia honour
5 years, 4 months ago

George Pell loses appeal against child sex abuse convictions, may lose Order of Australia honour

ABC  

The Prime Minister has said he understands Cardinal George Pell will be stripped of his Order of Australia honour, as Pell plans to take his rejected appeal against his child sex abuse convictions to the High Court. Key points: Two of the three judges turned down Pell's appeal ground of an unreasonable jury verdict All three judges rejected appeal arguments …

Child sex abuse case: Australian Cardinal Pell conviction 'unimpeachable', says prosecution
5 years, 7 months ago

Child sex abuse case: Australian Cardinal Pell conviction 'unimpeachable', says prosecution

The Hindu  

Prosecutors insisted that the conviction of Australian Cardinal George Pell for child sexual abuse was “unimpeachable” as his appeal against the guilty verdict went into a second day in Melbourne on Thursday. Pell's chief defence lawyer, Bret Walker, on Wednesday gave a litany of reasons Pell's “offending was impossible”. “This evidence constituted a catalogue of at least 13 solid obstacles …

Vatican child sex abuse scandal: Cardinal George Pell sentenced to six years in prison in Australia
5 years, 9 months ago

Vatican child sex abuse scandal: Cardinal George Pell sentenced to six years in prison in Australia

Firstpost  

The County Court Chief Judge Peter Kidd, while delivering the sentence, described Pell’s abuse of two choirboys in the sacristy at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne as “a brazen and forcible sexual attack on the victims” Melbourne: Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Vatican official to be convicted of sex abuse to date, has been sentenced to six years in …

Australian Cardinal jailed for 6 years for sexually abusing choirboys
5 years, 9 months ago

Australian Cardinal jailed for 6 years for sexually abusing choirboys

Deccan Chronicle  

Melbourne: Disgraced Australian Cardinal George Pell was on Wednesday sentenced to six years in prison for sexually abusing two choirboys, in what the judge lambasted as a "brazen" attack and "grave" abuse of power. The 77-year old -- wearing a black shirt but without his usual white clerical collar -- sat impassively, hands interlaced on his lap as Judge Peter …

Ex-Vatican Official, Cardinal Pell, Sentenced To 6 Years In Prison
5 years, 9 months ago

Ex-Vatican Official, Cardinal Pell, Sentenced To 6 Years In Prison

NPR  

Ex-Vatican Official, Cardinal Pell, Sentenced To 6 Years In Prison Australian Cardinal George Pell on Wednesday was sentenced to six years in prison — making him the most senior Catholic official to be found guilty in a criminal court of child molestation. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: How much prison time is enough for the most senior Catholic cleric ever charged with …

Cardinal Pell being sentenced for sexually abusing two choirboys
5 years, 9 months ago

Cardinal Pell being sentenced for sexually abusing two choirboys

ABC  

County Court Chief Judge Peter Kidd has sentenced Cardinal George Pell to six years' jail for sexually abusing two choirboys when he was Catholic archbishop of Melbourne in the 1990s. In one part of his more than 30-minute sentence, Chief Justice Kidd condemned a "lynch mob" mentality against Pell: In sentencing you today Cardinal Pell, I am not sitting in …

Catholic Church cardinals implicated in sex abuse, cover-ups
5 years, 10 months ago

Catholic Church cardinals implicated in sex abuse, cover-ups

Associated Press  

VATICAN CITY — The conviction of French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin for failing to report a known pedophile priest to police deepens the crisis confronting an already discredited Catholic Church hierarchy. After his conviction, the Vatican said its sex crimes office had opened an investigation and confirmed the Sydney archbishop restricted Pell’s ministry after the cardinal returned to Australia to face …

Australian cardinal challenges custody after being convicted of sex crimes
5 years, 10 months ago

Australian cardinal challenges custody after being convicted of sex crimes

Deccan Chronicle  

Melbourne: Angry protesters called Cardinal George Pell a "maggot" and a "monster" Wednesday as he arrived in court, possibly for the last time as a free man, in a last-ditch push for bail while he appeals his historic conviction for child sex crimes. A large crowd confronted the Cardinal outside the County Court of Victoria in Melbourne, with supporters of …

George Pell spends night in Melbourne Assessment Prison after his bail is revoked
5 years, 10 months ago

George Pell spends night in Melbourne Assessment Prison after his bail is revoked

ABC  

Cardinal George Pell has spent his first night behind bars at the Melbourne Assessment Prison after having his bail revoked in the County Court yesterday. What happens at Melbourne Assessment Prison: Upon arrival, prisoners have their identity confirmed and are measured and photographed They hand over their personal property and clothing to be stored while they are in custody Prisoners …

Australian Cardinal found guilty of child sex abuse
5 years, 10 months ago

Australian Cardinal found guilty of child sex abuse

The Hindu  

An Australian court has found Cardinal George Pell, one of the highest ranking Vatican officials and a former top adviser to Pope Francis, guilty on five charges of child sexual offences committed more than two decades ago against 13-year-old boys. The verdict was made public on Tuesday following the lifting of a court suppression order on the trial, after a …

Australia’s Cardinal George Pell convicted of child sexual abuse amid increasing complaints of misconduct against clergy
5 years, 10 months ago

Australia’s Cardinal George Pell convicted of child sexual abuse amid increasing complaints of misconduct against clergy

Firstpost  

Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Catholic cleric ever charged with child sex abuse has been convicted of molesting two boys, dealing a new blow to the Catholic hierarchy’s credibility after a year of global revelations of abuse and cover-up. Cardinal George Pell, Pope Francis’ top financial adviser and the Vatican’s economy minister, bowed his head but then regained his …

Cardinal Pell to Face Two Trials for Historical Sexual Abuse Charges
6 years, 8 months ago

Cardinal Pell to Face Two Trials for Historical Sexual Abuse Charges

CNN  

Cardinal George Pell faces two trials for historical sexual abuse charges. The charges include incidents that allegedly took place at a swimming pool in rural Victoria in the 1970s and at St Patrick’s Cathedral during the 1990s. Pell's barrister hopes that proceedings will begin as soon as possible, but he was denied his request to not be compelled to be …

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