George Pell gets a lifeline

george pell

Convicted paedophile George Pell has succeeded in convincing the High Court of Australia to hear his appeal against his child sexual abuse conviction.

Found guilty by a jury of the rape of a 13-year-old choirboy and sexual assault of another at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne in 1996, George Pell has always denied any wrongdoing.

Bret Walker SC and Ruth Shann argued Pell should be acquitted of all charges for several reasons, including inconsistencies in the complainant’s version of events.

Prosecutors say there is no basis for the appeal, and the Victorian courts made no errors.

Mr Pell is serving a six-year jail term and won’t be eligible for parole until he has served three years and eight months.

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I believe Pell is in protective custody at present.

If the high court hears his case, and comes to the conclusion that Pell was rightfully convicted, this protective custody should be revoked and he should be treated as a rockspider by the other inmates.

Believe Pell very likely knew about Ridsdale and others abuse of children given he was for years incredibly close to the ‘ground zero’ of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church particularly in the Ballarat diocese. 

However having said that I don’t believe he is guilty of the charges he is currently facing, mainly due to the context surrounding the time of the incident.  

At the  the time these incidents occurred sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church was becoming very well known, and believe Pell was even one of the main shakers and movers of the Catholic Church’s program response ‘Towards Healing’ (I think it was called) which was rolled out across parts of Australia I believe.  (But of course the hypocrisy is rampant particularly when you consider its  almost a given he had knowledge of Ridsdale and others.)

But more than anything it’s the sheer practicalities surrounding these incidents I regard as problematic.  I was raised a Catholic and even still do frequent churches from time to time, and like many Catholics have witnessed these ‘after large mass scenes’ many many times...People are bustling everywhere!  In the church, outside the church, up on the altar removing cloths, candles etc. in and about the sacristy area.  And cannot in my wildest dreams work out how the sexual abuse acts perpetrated on these young boys by Pell could happen and not be seen by anyone!

I just don’t know how it could happen and not be seen by anyone.

 

These perpetrators are so cunning that's how

Yep agree with the point you make, given priests had real clout in Catholic communities and were largely unchallenged in most things,  up until the not so distant past...Realistically probably up until average Catholics started exposing this dreadful abuse...And of course Pell was too close to all this stuff not to have known what was going on.  Think also he possibly had similar propensities re: swimming pool incident etc. etc.

But still think in this particular instance Pell may be innocent.  Just don’t know how the incident with the 2 boys could have happened in St. Patrick’s Cathedral after a large mass and it not be seen by anyone.

George Pell has been convicted by a jury who have listened and examined the evidence.

I hope the convictions stand.

This man has destroyed many lives and the almighty will eventually make judgement on this horrible man.

 

Argh, we're back to old shifty eyes again, well, he's guilty as hell. Anyone who thinks otherwise needs their head examined one for lice and two for brains.

He gets a lifeline, hey? Hope it turns into a noose!

I just hope he gets what he deserves, be it what it may.  He is, as is proper, getting his full entitlement to access the laws of the land.

In this he is lucky, some who seek this do not get it.

I believe Cardinal Pell is guilty of hiding others misdeeds but do not think he is guilty of current charges feel he is being used as an scapegoat and that is not justice. Oh and I am not Catholic

I believe Cardinal Pell is guilty of hiding others misdeeds but do not think he is guilty of current charges feel he is being used as an scapegoat and that is not justice. Oh and I am not Catholic

I feel the same Kas54 

Although he has been hiding other misdeeds I do not think he is guilty of the current charges...like you not a catholic.

I think George Pell probably behaved in inappropriate paedophile ways when he was younger (eg. at camps, swimming pool etc) but there are big question marks over the current charge. He'll probably get off but I hope he doesn't because I do think he is a paedophile and there is no doubt he knowingly protected paedophile priests.

 

agree! also add unless you were on the jury and heard "ALL" the evidence it is very hard to make a proper judgement and two out of three appeal Judges agreed.

I don't think it matters what we believe. We may have valid inklings but we are not near as close to whatever truths may be exposed as a judge and jury. The system provides for appeal and the court has seen sufficient reason to acquiese to appeal. Mr. Pell then has a right to that consideration as any do. He also has a right to be treated as innocent if found that way.

It seems to me that there is plenty problematic in the case. The first and probably most difficult is the time that has elapsed. An innocent person could have no clear memory of the particular day involved only blindly declare innocence. It may be that a person is supposedly innocent until proven guilty but there would be no doubt that it would help greatly if you could remember the day and reliably argue that on that day just for example you were changing attire in the room with another clergyman. Another is the difficulty in navigating a truthful path in a community so immersed in disgraceful behavior by clergy. Another is his proximity to other misdeeds where this could simply be put down to his very poor governance. Another but much weaker is the incredible risk it would seem any would be taking to perform these acts in this place. The failure of one of the supposed victims to speak out and the failure of the denouncing victim to speak out much earlier must also have some impact upon reckoning.

There are possibly plenty of reasons it seems to me that the judgement may be either valid or called into doubt. In the end, if someone's position, livelihood and what they stand for in life can be pulled down where there is any doubt, none of us are free. 

This is not America. Our freedom must stand for more than arm on sleeve supposed victim satisfaction and broader popularity contests. Our judgements and treatment must be recognised as of the highest gravity because they deal with we the people; owners of the society; not subjects of the society, not in more than word. 

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