Cardinal George Pell leaves the County Court of Victoria court after prosecutors decided not to proceed with a second trial on alleged historical child sexual offences in Melbourne on February 26, 2019. PHOTO | CON CHRONIS | AFP
Top pope aide Cardinal Pell convicted of child sex crimes
Tuesday February 26 2019
By AFP
Australian Cardinal George Pell, one of Pope Francis' closest
advisors, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two choirboys,
becoming the most senior Catholic cleric ever convicted of child sex
crimes.
An Australian jury unanimously found Pell
guilty in December on one count of sexual abuse and four counts of
indecent assault against two boys at Saint Patrick's Cathedral in
Melbourne in the 1990s.
Pell, now aged 77, was accused
of cornering the boys —then aged 12 and 13— in the cathedral's sacristy
following Sunday mass and forcing them to perform a sex act on him.
The
cleric, who has remained free on bail, denied all the charges and an
initial trial ended with a hung jury in September, but he was convicted
on retrial on December 11.
A wide-ranging suppression
order from the presiding judge had prevented the media from reporting
even the existence of court proceedings and the ensuing trials since
May.
The order was lifted during a court hearing on
Tuesday when prosecutors decided against proceeding with a second trial
for separate allegations against Pell dating from the 1970s.
Advocacy group bishopaccountability.org said Pell was the "first bishop convicted of physical sex crimes involving minors".
"Pell's conviction is groundbreaking," its co-director Anne Barrett Doyle said.
There was no immediate reaction from the Vatican but Pell maintained his innocence Tuesday.
"Cardinal
George Pell has always maintained his innocence and continues to do
so," said a statement issued by his lawyers, who added that they had
lodged an appeal.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he
was "deeply shocked" by Pell's conviction and that the justice system
had shown "no Australian is above the law".
Of the two
choirboys that Pell was found to have assaulted, one died in 2014 of a
drug overdose that his family blamed on the trauma he suffered.
The
second victim said in a statement issued by his lawyer Tuesday that the
ongoing legal process was stressful and "not over yet".
"Like
many survivors I have experienced shame, loneliness, depression and
struggle. Like many survivors it has taken me years to understand the
impact upon my life," said the man, who has not been publicly
identified.
"At some point we realise that we trusted
someone we should have feared and we fear those genuine relationships
that we should trust."
Outside the County Court of
Victoria, supporters of other abuse survivors yelled "monster" and "rot
in hell" as Pell, walking slowly with the aid of a cane, got into a car
after the hearing concluded.
A pre-sentencing hearing
is scheduled for Wednesday, when Pell is expected to be remanded in
custody. He faces a maximum 25 years in prison if his appeal is
rejected, prosecutors have said.
Conviction
Pell sat impassively during Tuesday's court hearing, wearing a beige sport coat over a dark shirt and clerical collar.
His
conviction is another hammer blow to the Church, which has struggled to
convince the world it is serious about tackling widespread child abuse
and paedophilia.
Pell was appointed by Pope Francis to
manage the Vatican finances in 2014 and was one of the pontiff's closest
advisors as a member of the so-called C9 council until being dropped
from that body the day after his December 11 conviction.
Just
two days ago, the pope closed an historic Vatican summit on sexual
abuse by priests by likening the abuse to "human sacrifice".
But
critics say the institution is still moving too slowly in dealing with a
problem that is global in scale and, at a minimum, spans decades.
The
case has caused consternation in Australia, where Pell had once been
praised by luminaries from a prime minister down, and was a leading
conservative voice on issues ranging from gay marriage to climate
change.
For decades, Pell denied being an abuser or covering up sex abuse, but he did admit he "mucked up" in dealing with paedophile priests in the state of Victoria.
During his trial, defence lawyers ridiculed the charges against him, arguing that the cathedral sacristy was a hive of activity following Sunday mass and that it would have been impossible to assault choirboys in such circumstances.
The court had heard that Pell abused the two boys after catching them swigging from a bottle of sacramental wine.
For decades, Pell denied being an abuser or covering up sex abuse, but he did admit he "mucked up" in dealing with paedophile priests in the state of Victoria.
During his trial, defence lawyers ridiculed the charges against him, arguing that the cathedral sacristy was a hive of activity following Sunday mass and that it would have been impossible to assault choirboys in such circumstances.
The court had heard that Pell abused the two boys after catching them swigging from a bottle of sacramental wine.
He exposed himself and forced one of them to perform oral sex on him, and fondled the boy's genitals while masturbating.
Australia's media has strongly protested against the suppression order imposed on the case.
Following
Pell's December conviction, some international media reported the
verdict, while local newspapers published cryptic front-page stories
that hinted at a prominent Australian had been found guilty of serious
crimes.
Australian media said Tuesday that they subsequently received "show cause" letters from the court explaining why they should not face contempt charges for their reporting on the case.
Around one in five Australians are Catholic, roughly five million people.
A five-year royal commission inquiry into child abuse said in a report issued last year that tens of thousands of children had been sexually abused in Australian institutions including churches.
Australian media said Tuesday that they subsequently received "show cause" letters from the court explaining why they should not face contempt charges for their reporting on the case.
Around one in five Australians are Catholic, roughly five million people.
A five-year royal commission inquiry into child abuse said in a report issued last year that tens of thousands of children had been sexually abused in Australian institutions including churches.