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canetoad

(17,088 posts)
Tue May 1, 2018, 01:52 AM May 2018

Cardinal George Pell to stand trial on historical sex assault charges

Source: The Age

George Pell will be the most senior Catholic leader to face a jury after being committed to stand trial on multiple historic sexual assault charges.

In a decision that will ring loud through the Vatican and around the religious world, Australia's most senior Catholic and the man who a year ago oversaw management of the Vatican's finances was on Tuesday committed to stand trial on half the charges he faced, involving multiple accusers.

However, magistrate Belinda Wallington struck out a series of serious charges at the start of her ruling, finding there was insufficient evidence for him to be convicted by a jury.

Ms Wallington committed the 76-year-old on charges against multiple complainants, involving alleged sexual offending at a swimming pool in the 1970s in Ballarat, where the accused man was then working as a priest; and at St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne in 1990s, when he was the then Archbishop of Melbourne.

Asked to enter a plea, Cardinal Pell said in a loud, clear voice: "Not guilty."
Cardinal George Pell has been committed to stand trial on multiple charges related to historical sexual assault.

Read more: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/cardinal-george-pell-to-stand-trial-on-historical-sex-assault-charges-20180501-p4zckv.html

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WhiteTara

(29,676 posts)
2. So, not being willing to confess his sin, the courts will
Tue May 1, 2018, 08:11 AM
May 2018

now have to drag it out of him. What a fine specimen of Christianity.

Nitram

(22,671 posts)
3. I sometimes wonder if these high-level people in the Church believe that they have immunity for
Tue May 1, 2018, 08:33 AM
May 2018

their crimes because their high position is proof of god's favor. The perfect tautology: I wouldn't be here if I weren't god's choice, so whatever I've done, he must approve of it. "The good I do for the world with the power I wield more than makes up for any trifling sin I might have committed."

FSogol

(45,357 posts)
4. "When I look up, I don't see heaven and angels, all I see is people trying to take advantage of me."
Tue May 1, 2018, 09:24 AM
May 2018

- Yossarian

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