The latest update on Catholic Cardinal George Pell’s sexual abuse of choirboys has emerged.
YaahooJournalist reports that new court documents filed by Cardinal Pell’s lawyers argue that previous findings against the convicted cardinal failed to eliminate doubt about his opportunity to sexually abuse choirboys.
This online news medium understands that the 21-page appeal document lodged with the High Court on Friday, January 3, 2020, will be the basis for Pell’s final bid to overturn his child sexual abuse convictions.
George Pell Sexual Abuse
Catholic Cardinal George Pell’s legal team argues that Victoria’s Court of Appeal overlooked vital elements when two out of three judges upheld the guilty verdicts, leading the 78-year-old to a maximum six-year prison term.
“The majority erred as, in light of findings made by them, there did remain a reasonable doubt as to the existence of any opportunity for the offending to have occurred,” the document read.
Before now, the legal team of the convicted Catholic cardinal stressed that it was the responsibility of prosecutors to eliminate any doubt for jurors.
Barristers Bret Walker SC and Ruth Shann, representing Cardinal Pell, estimate they will need at least four hours to make verbal submissions to the High Court.
YaahooJournalist understands that a full bench of the court is due to consider the grounds of appeal in a hearing which is scheduled to hold in March 2020.
Meanwhile, Cardinal George Pell is Australia’s most senior Catholic who was jailed for sexually assaulting two choirboys at Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral while he was Archbishop of Melbourne in 1996.
The High Court agreed to grant the Catholic Cardinal special leave to present his case, however, after hearing legal arguments, the High Court could refuse or approve Pell’s application. The court could also allow or dismiss the appeal.
