Cardinal George Pell has been found guilty of sexually abusing two choirboys back in 1997. Pell was a Vatican treasurer, a friend of the Pope, and one of the most senior Catholic figures in the world. He also managed the Catholic church’s response to widespread child abuse by priests through the “Melbourne Response”. The trial back in December last year found him guilty of orally raping a choirboy, and molesting another in Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral. There was a suppression order that prevented the Australian media to report the guilty verdict until now.
The Public Did Not Shy Away From Immediately Responding….
*BREAKING*: A man has yelled “Burn in Hell, Pell!” as Cardinal George Pell left court, minutes after gag orders were lifted preventing us from reporting the fact he was convicted by a jury in December of sexually abusing two 13yo choir boys @10Daily @10NewsFirst pic.twitter.com/OqKM6uPMD2
— Candice Wyatt (@CandiceWyatt10) February 26, 2019
George Pell leaves court to shouts of abuse as the world learns for the first time he has been convicted of child sex abuse. @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/6O6sXaSGwR
— Shannon Deery (@s_deery) February 26, 2019
Victims React: “The Catholics threw unlimited money at this…I want to see Pell excommunicated. I want to see Pell in jail…Catholics are experts in dragging things out.” Cardinal George Pell raped a choirboy in the 1990s and molested another. Coverage on @Channel7. #7News pic.twitter.com/wxok2SrXn0
— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) February 26, 2019
Pell was on leave from his role in Rome as Vatican treasurer. As well as being found guilty of sexually penetrating a child under the age of 16, there were also four charges of an indecent act with a child under the age of 16. The offences occurred in December 1996 and early 1997 just months after Pell was inaugurated as archbishop of Melbourne. Sentencing will occur on Wednesday, as Pell is out on bail recovering from a knee surgery.
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