The Catholic Cardinal who was found guilty of sexually abusing two teenagers is hoping to walk free due to a lack of evidence.
Lawyers for George Pell are appearing in Australia’s High Court today, to try to overturn a six-year prison sentence that was handed down in December 2018.
Pell was found guilty of molesting the 13-year-old choirboys at Melbourne’s Saint Patrick’s cathedral in the late nineties. The jury returned a unanimous verdict.
Pell has denied the abuse but failed to get the convictions overturned at the Court of Appeal in August last year.
The judge labelled Pell’s actions as brazen, forceful and arrogant. (Source: Other)
The High Court hearing will decide whether to grant special leave to Pell, so he can appeal the Victorian Court of Appeal decision that upheld his five convictions.
Pell’s lawyer Bret Walker told the court, the evidence of the complainant was the only evidence to the effect that the offending occurred.
He also argued that the offending could not have happened given that Pell would not have been left alone with the teenagers after Sunday mass, and rather, he would have been on the front steps of the cathedral.
Mr Walker said there is enough reasonable doubt for George Pell to have his convictions squashed and for him to be released from prison.
The High Court heard that the video testimony from the victim “may have unduly convinced two of the three judges” in the appeal hearing.
Bret Walker said the video testimony may have been given greater weight than the other evidence available.
He also questioned why the prosecution never questioned the credibility of witnesses, who vouched for 78 year old Pell’s whereabouts when the offending is said to have happened.
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