Vatican treasurer Cardinal George Pell has been committed to stand trial over historical sexual abuse charges in Australia.
Magistrate Belinda Wallington ruled earlier today that there is enough evidence for a trial to proceed on about half of the original charges Pell was facing from a number of complainants.
Australia’s most senior Catholic will face charges stemming from allegations of “sexual offending at a swimming pool in the 1970s in Ballarat … and at St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne in 1990s, while he was Archbishop of Melbourne”, Fairfax Media says.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
When asked to enter a plea, Pell said: “Not guilty”.
Among the charges that were dismissed were allegations that Pell had committed sexual offences at a chapel and a cinema in Ballarat, a nearby city, in the 1970s while he was a priest in the area.
The 76-year-old’s lawyer, Robert Richter QC, said the most “vile” of the charges against Pell had been dropped.
Pell was released on bail, with conditions set that he will not be allowed to leave Australia. Pell has already forfeited his passport.
The ABC reports that the Cardinal faces “a directions hearing in the County Court tomorrow morning, when it is expected a date will be set for a trial before a jury”.
Pell was originally charged with historical sexual abuse in June 2017, and was given leave by Pope Francis to step aside from his position at the Vatican to return to Australia to contest the charges.
-
Critics’ choice: Watering holes for gourmandsFeature An endless selection of Mexican spirits, a Dublin-inspired bar, and an upscale Baltimore pub
-
Argentinian beef is at the center of American farmers’ woesThe Explainer ‘It feels like a slap in the face to rural America,’ said one farmer
-
‘Businesses that lose money and are uncompetitive won’t survive’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
