Pell denies sex abuse charges in Aus court
Vatican Finance Chief Cardinal George Pell, a top adviser to Pope Francis, denied all charges of historical sexual abuse yesterday at his first appearance in an Australian court over the allegations.
The 76-year-old, the numberthree figure in the Vatican, returned from Rome earlier this month to face the charges in Melbourne Magistrates Court.
Details of the charges have not been made public although police said they involved “multiple complainants”. The former Sydney and Melbourne archbishop has always maintained his innocence.
Looking sombre and frail, he attended the hearing with his lawyer, top criminal barrister Robert Richter, who told the court his client was not guilty – even though a formal plea was not required at this stage.
“For the avoidance of doubt and because of the interest, I might indicate that Cardinal Pell pleads not guilty to all charges and will maintain the presumed innocence that he has,” Richter told the court.
Pell remained silent throughout with Magistrate Duncan Reynolds ruling that evidence needs to be handed to his legal team by September 8, with the next court date set for October 6. The cleric made no comment as he was escorted by a group of police through a crush of cameras, reporters and photographers into the court, which hears hundreds of cases a week for alleged crimes ranging from theft to murder.
Several photographers were knocked over in the melee.
Similar scenes greeted his departure after the brief hearing as he was ushered around 100 metres down the road to his lawyer’s offices surrounded by security, with a handful of supporters shouting “this is a show trial” and “innocent” as he walked past.
Protesters were also on hand, with one, Brian Cherrie, telling the Melbourne Herald Sun: “We need the truth.”
Pell was not required to attend the hearing, but he opted to appear, having previously vowed to defend himself and clear his name after a two-year investigation led to him being charged on June 29.
“I am innocent of these charges, they are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me,” he said last month.