Cardinal to face 50 witnesses over sex assault allegations
CARDINAL GEORGE PELL, one of the most powerful figures in the Vatican and Australia’s most senior Catholic, will face at least 50 witnesses during a four-week court hearing next March over allegations of historic sex assault offences.
The 76-year-old, who has denied any wrongdoing, attended a brief procedural hearing in Melbourne yesterday but made no comment.
A four-week committal hearing will begin on March 5.
The court was told that some of the witnesses were choirboys at the time their evidence relates to. Five witnesses were disallowed.
In June, police in the state of Victoria charged Cardinal Pell with historic offences involving numerous complainants. Details of the charges have not been released.
Robert Richter QC, his lawyer, told Melbourne magistrates’ court that it was “impossible” that alleged historical sexual offending could have occurred at St Patrick’s Cathedral, the seat of Melbourne’s archbishop.
Cardinal Pell, who was appointed to oversee the Vatican’s finances by Pope Francis in 2014, returned to Australia to face the charges.
He will only be required to formally enter a plea if the court decides that there is enough evidence for him to stand trial. His lawyer has already said that he will plead not guilty to all the charges.
Flanked by police and surrounded by media crews, Cardinal Pell faced yells from protesters as he entered the court but did not respond.