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George Pell found guilty of child sex abuse
Cardinal George Pell has been found guilty of child sex abuse.
Megan Palin@megan_palin
news.com.auFebruary 26, 201911:22am
Cardinal George Pell has been found guilty of child sex abuse and is facing a significant term of imprisonment following a sensational trial in Melbourne.
The third most powerful man in the Vatican and Australia’s most senior Catholic has been found guilty of raping one choirboy and molesting another in Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral 22 years ago.
A jury delivered the unanimous verdict on 11 December in Melbourne’s county court, but the result was subject to a suppression order and could not be reported until now. It’s expected there will be calls for Pell to be defrocked.
He’s due to return to the County Court for a plea hearing tomorrow and Chief Judge Peter Kidd will sentence him in March.
Pell’s victims were two 13-year-old boys on scholarships to the prestigious St Kevin’s College.
The pair “nicked off” after a Sunday solemn mass in late 1996 and were caught swigging sacramental wine in the priest’s sacristy by Pell, newly installed as Archbishop of Melbourne.
Pell scolded them, exposed his penis from beneath the ornate ceremonial robes, and molested them.
A Melbourne jury in December found Pell guilty of five charges — one of sexually penetrating a child and four of committing indecent acts with children. That verdict was made public on Tuesday after months of procedural secrecy, and the abandonment of a second trial over allegations Pell indecently assaulted boys in Ballarat in the 1970s.
Pell has maintained his innocence over all allegations and has lodged an appeal of his conviction.
So perplexing that they let him walk.
Knee surgery ? High chance of taking the easy way out now I think. If so it would effectively mean he goes unpunished and leaving the victims with more suffering...
Pell's greatest crime remains unpunished (yet rewarded with promotions by the Church).
Pell was the guy who covered up for priests who were also serial child rapists. It was Pell who regularly moved guys like Ridsdale into unsuspecting and trusting communities.
What a sick world we live in where the Catholic Church is still so revered by so many.
Information is changing fast around this because of legal suppression that just got lifted but i admit i was not correct......was quoting the live ABC feed at time of post in defenceWhat? He's had the surgery already, that was after the first trial. He left today because bail was posted on charges that were drop. He has a plea/sentence hearing tomorrow where he will be remanded afterwards. Try reading or watching what has happened before getting carried away.
The info is fast moving and changing because of the supression orderWhat? He's had the surgery already, that was after the first trial. He left today because bail was posted on charges that were drop. He has a plea/sentence hearing tomorrow where he will be remanded afterwards. Try reading or watching what has happened before getting carried away.
You should apologise to yourself. Pell will get off on appeal.You’d think that maybe on one of their quiet days, this might be something that the U.N might want raise in between their hatred of Israel and gobbing off of anything islam.
Personally, you’d also think that anyone powerful and wealthy enough, would have a fairly robust case at The Hague against the roman catholic church for crimes against humanity.
I’m not saying that every catholic church should burn to the ground, but I’ve unfortunately lost my train of thought on that one.
Funnily enough, you’d also imagine that there’d be a flood of apologies from the many posters in here that played at some of the most exquisite mental gymnastics in their apologetics for both Pell and their beloved church!
I’d like a personal apology firstly and secondly if you wouldn’t mind, to all of the victims, for the supposed moral arbiters that betrayed the most vulnerable within and outside of your church!
Lets ******* hear it!!
An accusation in the early 70’s of him fondling boys at a pool.Why do you think that?
The trial for the 'fishing' incident is not what he has been found guilty of.An accusation in the early 70’s of him fondling boys at a pool.
Nothing for 20 years and then two accusations of him raping altar boys in the 90’s.
Nothing since.
Pedophiles don’t behave like that. There’s no chance that he’s a pedophile and I’ve heard multiple rumours that those present at his trial couldn’t believe the verdict.
I read the statement and I know that the older Ballarat charges were dropped.The trial for the 'fishing' incident is not what he has been found guilty of.
You haven't read today's statement from the victim?
Are you an expert on pedophilia to know how they behave? What about rape?
Neither of us have heard the evidence that was presented in court yet you think that 12 jury members got it wrong?
It isn't the press nor the public that found him guilty it is the jury that heard all the evidence.
I don't think it will matter you seem to have made up your mind.I read the statement and I know that the older Ballarat charges were dropped.
I’ll wait and see what happens next before I make any further comments.
An accusation in the early 70’s of him fondling boys at a pool.
Nothing for 20 years and then two accusations of him raping altar boys in the 90’s.
Nothing since.
Pedophiles don’t behave like that. There’s no chance that he’s a pedophile and I’ve heard multiple rumours that those present at his trial couldn’t believe the verdict.
Bruce isn’t a Catholic any moreWonder what Bruce from Ballnarring has to say now. Will he continue to defend the reprehensible Pell and his corrupt and false Catholic church.
Wonder what Bruce from Ballnarring has to say now. Will he continue to defend the reprehensible Pell and his corrupt and false Catholic church.
Congratulations on going into bat for a convicted pedophile, what on earth do you hope to gain by doing so?An accusation in the early 70’s of him fondling boys at a pool.
Nothing for 20 years and then two accusations of him raping altar boys in the 90’s.
Nothing since.
Pedophiles don’t behave like that. There’s no chance that he’s a pedophile and I’ve heard multiple rumours that those present at his trial couldn’t believe the verdict.
Ok, I’ll admit that me saying there’s no chance of him being a pedo is a poor choice of words. “Very unlikely” would be a more accurate description.Congratulations on going into bat for a convicted pedophile, what on earth do you hope to gain by doing so?
I thought Essendon* supporters defending James Hird was bad enough but this takes tribalism to a new and sickening level.