Vatican cardinal pell faces australian court on sex charges #
George Pell, a former high-ranking official in the Catholic Church and a cardinal in the Vatican, has faced multiple trials and appeals in Australia on charges of sexual abuse. Here is a summary of the case:
- In 2018, Pell was charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse, including the alleged sexual assault of multiple boys at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne in the 1990s.
- Pell denied the allegations and maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.
- In 2019, Pell was found guilty of five counts of sexual abuse and was sentenced to six years in prison, with a non-parole period of three years and eight months.
- Pell appealed the conviction, arguing that the trial was unfair and that there were errors in the jury's deliberations.
- In 2020, the Victorian Court of Appeal upheld Pell's conviction, ruling that the trial was fair and that there was sufficient evidence to support the guilty verdict.
- Pell then appealed to the High Court of Australia, which is the country's highest court. In April 2020, the High Court rejected Pell's appeal, upholding his conviction and sentence.
The allegations against Pell date back to the 1970s and 1980s, when he was a priest in Ballarat, Victoria. The alleged victims, who were boys at the time, accused Pell of sexually abusing them on multiple occasions.
Pell's case has been highly controversial, with many Catholics and others expressing outrage and disbelief at the allegations. However, the Australian justice system has consistently found Pell guilty of the charges, and he remains in prison serving his sentence.
It's worth noting that the Catholic Church has faced numerous allegations of sexual abuse and cover-ups in recent years, and Pell's case is just one example of the widespread problem of sexual abuse within the Church.