Finding opens door to prison
GEORGE Pell could be sent to prison as early as today after being convicted of vile sexual offending against young choirboys while serving as Melbourne’s archbishop.
Pell was granted at least one final night of freedom last night after a suppression order banning any reporting of his case was lifted.
But County Court chief judge Peter Kidd has flagged remanding him in custody when he reappears at court today for a pre-sentence hearing.
Cardinal Pell, 77, is facing the prospect of a significant term of imprisonment with legal sources saying he could expect to spend several years behind bars.
Australia’s most senior Catholic leader looked stunned as his County Court jury delivered unanimous guilty verdicts to all charges, five in total, following a fiveweek trial.
The jury deliberated for 3½ days before reaching their verdict.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the convictions “had affirmed no Australian is above the law”.
“Like most Australians, I am deeply shocked at the crimes of which George Pell has been convicted,” he said.
“I respect the fact that this case is under appeal, but it is the victims and their families I am thinking of today, and all who have suffered from sexual abuse by those they should have been able to trust, but couldn’t.”
Melbourne’s current Catholic archbishop Peter A. Comensoli also said his thoughts were with victims of abuse.
“An appeal against the verdict has been lodged. It is important that we now await the outcome of this appeal, respectful of the ongoing legal proceedings,” Archbishop Comensoli said.
A gag order prevented publication of the verdict in order to protect an expected trial over allegations Pell indecently assaulted boys at a Ballarat swimming pool in the 1970s.
But prosecutors yesterday dropped those charges following a ruling by chief judge Kidd that excluded evidence considered crucial to the case.
It cleared the way for the gag order to be lifted.
Pell’s legal team last week lodged an appeal against all convictions and say they are confident of success.
They hope to secure appeal bail but when that application can be heard remains unclear.
Until then, Pell will swap the palatial surrounds of the Vatican that he has called home since 2014 for a prison cell with sources saying his high-profile will see him kept in 23-hour lockdown.
Pell’s jury were under strict instructions not to make him a scapegoat for the failings of the Catholic Church’s appalling handling of child sexual abuse.
The 12-person jury, of eight men and four women, included a church pastor, chef, librarian and teacher among them.
It was the second jury to deliberate over the matter after another jury was unable to reach a unanimous, or even majority 11 to 1, verdict.
By their verdict the jury in this second trial accepted that Cardinal Pell abused the two young choirboys after a Sunday Solemn mass inside St Patrick’s Cathedral in 1996.
Just one of the victims gave evidence at trial. The other passed away several years ago and had denied being abused by any priest.
The living witness, now aged in his 30s, said he and his friend were young sopranos, on scholarship at prestigious St Kevin’s college under an obligation to sing in the cathedral choir.
He said after a Sunday mass he and the other victim ran away during a church procession and made their way to the priests’ sacristy inside the cathedral.
Once there they drank altar wine before being caught by Cardinal Pell who proceeded to indecently assault them.
Cardinal Pell was found guilty of one count of sexual penetration of a child and four indecent act charges.
The victim gave evidence in a closed court, and little is known about his testimony.
Cardinal Pell vehemently denied any wrongdoing since he was first charged in June last year.