Cardinal weighs up fresh appeal
CARDINAL George Pell is considering appealing to the High Court after his bid to overturn five convictions for sexually abusing two boys in the 1990s was rejected.
Pell was convicted in December over the rape of one 13year-old choirboy and sexual assault of another at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne in 1996. He was emotionless in the dock yesterday as Victoria’s Court of Appeal rejected his appeal in a 2-1 decision.
“Cardinal Pell is obviously disappointed with the decision today. However his legal team will thoroughly examine the judgment in order to determine a special leave application to the High Court,” his legal team said in a statement.
“While noting the 2-1 split decision, Cardinal Pell maintains his innocence. We thank his many supporters.”
Pell did not appeal his sentence, so the six-year prison term, with a minimum of three years and eight months before he’s eligible for parole, stands.
Chief Justice Anne Ferguson read a summary of their 325-page judgment, revealing she and Court of Appeal president Chris Maxwell agreed that his appeal on a ground that the verdicts were “unsafe and unsatisfactory” should be dismissed.
One of Pell’s victims died in 2014, while the other gave evidence at trial.
Justice Ferguson said she and Justice Maxwell found there was nothing in his account of Pell’s offending that meant the jury must have had a doubt as to the cardinal’s guilt.
“Throughout his evidence (he) came across as someone who was telling the truth,” she said. “He did not seek to embellish his evidence or tailor it in a manner favourable to the prosecution.”
But Justice Mark Weinberg disagreed with the majority, and believed Pell should have been acquitted of all charges.
He couldn’t exclude the possibility that some of what the man, now in his 30s, had said was concocted.
In a statement after the decision, the surviving victim said he had been in a dark place after the death of the other boy, his childhood friend, and felt a responsibility to come forward.
“The experiences I have been through have helped me understand what is truly important,” he said, revealing he recently became a father.
Outside the court, abuse survivors cheered as the decision was handed down. Pell is now likely to be stripped of his Order of Australia.
THROUGHOUT HIS EVIDENCE (THE VICTIM) CAME ACROSS AS SOMEONE WHO WAS TELLING THE TRUTH