Cardinal Pell arrives in Australia to face sexual offence charges

[webfact]

Cardinal Pell arrives in Australia to face sexual offence charges

 

Cardinal George Pell attends news conference at the Vatican, June 29, 2017. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A top Vatican official charged in his native Australia with historical sex crimes arrived in Sydney on Monday ahead of his first court appearance later this month.

 

Australia's Nine Entertainment Co Ltd broadcast video of Cardinal George Pell being whisked away from Sydney airport early on Monday morning.

 

Australian police said late last month Pell, an adviser to Pope Francis, faced multiple charges of "historical sexual offences" from multiple complainants. That makes the Vatican economy minister the highest-ranking Church official to face such accusations.

 

Pell has declared his innocence and said he would return to Australia to clear his name.

 

The Sydney Catholic archdiocese said on Monday Pell's return "should not be a surprise" because he had already said he would return to defend himself against the charges.

 

It said in a statement Pell "consulted his doctors and on their advice took several days to return home, breaking his journey in a number of places to avoid long-haul flights".

 

Pell had said he was too sick to fly home to testify at a government inquiry into child abuse in 2016.

 

On Sunday, Nine broadcast video of Pell in casual attire with a companion outside an ice cream shop in Singapore. The tourist who took the video told Pell his mother wanted to know if he was innocent.

 

"Tell her that I am," Pell said.

 

Pell is on leave of absence to defend himself and that video marked the first time he had been seen in public outside Rome since police charged him.

 

He is due to appear in a Melbourne court on July 26.

 

(Reporting by Wayne Cole and Byron Kaye; Editing by Mary Milliken and Paul Tait)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-07-10

[boomerangutang]

Good.  I trust Aussie authorities to conduct a fair trial.

[Rancid]

Be interesting to see how this goes, the evidence is quite strong, there again high level protection for peds is also very strong, and there are always technicalities...

[ezzra]

Oh how the mighty has fallen.... and if the allegations will be proved to be true,

i don't know where the church can turn to bury it's shame....

[Baerboxer]

3 hours ago, Rancid said:

Be interesting to see how this goes, the evidence is quite strong, there again high level protection for peds is also very strong, and there are always technicalities...

 

Indeed. Hope it's better than the UK where politicians, dead and alive, seem to be well protected on such allegations. Never get to court in the UK, the crown prosecution / police never manage to progress things that far.

 

[hansnl]

4 hours ago, Rancid said:

Be interesting to see how this goes, the evidence is quite strong, there again high level protection for peds is also very strong, and there are always technicalities...

The "strong evidence" comprises of accusations.

There is no further proof of guilt, no pictures, no written documents, whatever.

If he did it, and what I think is not relevant, there should be real proof.

 

[Jingthing]

Sadly, it's really hard to prove such cases.

For an excellent look at a similar case involving young female victims in Baltimore, check this out:

The Keepers

 

Edited July 10, 2017 by Jingthing

[Aussieroaming]

Not too sick to attend Vatican Events like the rest of the corrupt Catholic "politicians" but too sick to fly back to Australia to front a Child Abuse Inquiry. He is a scumbag and the Australian Catholic Church will once again go for a cover up.

[worgeordie]

" on their advice took several days to return home, breaking his journey in a number of places to avoid long-haul flights".

Already building up to "I am too ill to go to prison ", just in case he is found guilty.

regards Worgeordie

[Aussieroaming]

12 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

" on their advice took several days to return home, breaking his journey in a number of places to avoid long-haul flights".

Already building up to "I am too ill to go to prison ", just in case he is found guilty.

regards Worgeordie

Cardinal Pell isn't guilty of personally physically abusing anyone as far as I know. During the 70's and 80's catholic priest and brothers who were caught being sexually inappropriate with boys were shuffled from diocese to diocese and the decent clergy in those diocese were never told they had taken on habitual sex offenders. Pell is accused of having been approached by complainants at the time and failing to stop the activity or to report the abuse to the authorities. So he is being accused of "failing to act" in the best interest of the parishioners.and decent catholic clergy, 

 

There are many Royal Commission documents in the public domain that detail each allegation and Pells response and excuses.

 

See below for example, pretty disgraceful.

 

ROYAL COMMISSION INTO INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSES TO CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASE STUDY 28 - BALLARAT

[simple1]

22 minutes ago, Aussieroaming said:

Cardinal Pell isn't guilty of personally physically abusing anyone as far as I know. During the 70's and 80's catholic priest and brothers who were caught being sexually inappropriate with boys were shuffled from diocese to diocese and the decent clergy in those diocese were never told they had taken on habitual sex offenders. Pell is accused of having been approached by complainants at the time and failing to stop the activity or to report the abuse to the authorities. So he is being accused of "failing to act" in the best interest of the parishioners.and decent catholic clergy, 

 

There are many Royal Commission documents in the public domain that detail each allegation and Pells response and excuses.

 

See below for example, pretty disgraceful.

 

ROYAL COMMISSION INTO INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSES TO CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASE STUDY 28 - BALLARAT

Victorian police detectives interviewed Pell in Rome. Pell now faces charges relating to allegations of his child sexual abuse in Ballarat in the 1970s.

[Lucky mike]

In the end he will be judged by his god ?

[lvr181]

May he rot in hell for his 'official' failures 

[Jingthing]

30 minutes ago, Lucky mike said:

In the end he will be judged by his god ?

That's a matter of faith. Not good enough. 

[farcanell]

Helping the nazis didn't seem to hurt the catholic church's reputation.... I can't see that this will, either

[baboon]

48 minutes ago, farcanell said:

Helping the nazis didn't seem to hurt the catholic church's reputation.... I can't see that this will, either

Oh, I don't know. 'Faith' in their particular brand of organised religion seems to slowly be whittling away.

The sooner the faithful of other religions turn their backs on their leaders and their own Celestial Revelations too cannot come soon enough either, as far as I am concerned. 

If you want to believe in a Higher Power, then good luck to you. Why not, if it brings a little joy to your life? Just don't be too trusting of His or Her rather more worldly messengers...

Edited July 10, 2017 by baboon

[anon4546543]

17 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

Good.  I trust Aussie authorities to conduct a fair trial.

I hope so too. In fact I think it likely that he be granted the most lenient protections to be granted a fair trial.

Mr Pell has been associated with paedophiles since he entered the "Church". He has constantly protected paedophiles.

 He shared rooms with paedophiles.

It makes him an accessory at least.

He has failed in his duty to "out" paedophiles, if he is not one of them.

Got rot him and his ilk.   

[starky]

Long overdue for this filthy dog catholic church has been getting away with this for centuries and how many have had their childhood and lives ruined while this c@/!  lived the life of riley. Not only has he protected plenty of pedos over the years their is a huge chance he was one as well. Mongrel.

[madusa]

Why did they still bring their kids to church after they heard so much bad things done to some kids years back. Must be simple minded folks.

Did they believe these sick people who pretended to be men of God were innocents? All these long robes and singing of hymns really make people feel the presence of God.

If they had done this to my kid I would ask my kid to clearly identify the priest then I would walk up to him after the mass is over, I would talk to him then suddenly grab his testicles and twist it really hard till he passes out.

I may be charged with grave bodily assault in court but it would make me feel good.

[lvr181]

11 hours ago, farcanell said:

Helping the nazis didn't seem to hurt the catholic church's reputation.... I can't see that this will, either

As always, the church first, the 'people' second. 

[tifino]

 

I wonder if he has a backup? ( i.e. a Vatican Passport)

 

by the new Australian rules, pedofiles'  Passports will be confiscated