Former Vatican Official Cardinal George Pell Has Been Sentenced To 6 Years In Prison For Sexually Abusing 2 Boys. Cardinal George will be eligible for parole after he serves 3 years and 8 months in jail.
Cardinal George was once the 3rd highest ranking catholic in his time when he was the Church’s treasurer.
77-year-old Cardinal Pell was originally charged with 5 counts, one was for sexually penetrating a teenager that was under 16-years-old, and the rest were related to an indecent act with a teenager that was under 16-years-old.
77-year-old Cardinal Pell was removed from the Vatican in December 2018. The news of the result was allowed to be released in Australia only because of a gag order by the court.
Chief Judge Kidd said this when he sentenced 77-year-old Cardinal Pell:
“The acts were sexually graphic. Both victims were visibly and audibly distressed during this offending.”
“You were confident your victims would not complain. It is fanciful to suggest that you may not have fully appreciated this.
“There is an added layer of degradation and humiliation that each of your victims must have felt in knowing that their abuse had been witnessed by the other.
“You had had ample time to reflect upon your previous abuse…despite this, you still indecently acted against (victim J), and did so with what I consider to be a degree of physical aggression and venom.
“I consider your moral culpability across both episodes to be high.
“There was a clear relationship of trust with the victims, and you breached that trust and abused your position to facilitate this offending.
“Your obvious status as Archbishop cast a powerful shadow over this offending.
“I would characterise these breaches and abuses as grave. You continued to offend with callous indifference to the victim’s distress. Your conduct was permeated by staggering arrogance.
“There is no evidence of your remorse or contrition for me to act upon to reduce your sentence.
“On the one hand I must punish and denounce you for this appalling offending. Yet on the other hand, I am conscious of the heavy reality that I am about to sentence you, a man of advanced years, who has led an otherwise blameless life, to a significant period of imprisonment, which will account for a good portion of the balance of your life.”
77-year-old Cardinal Pell will be placed in the list of sex offenders register. Cardinal Pell is now the most senior leader from the Vatican that has been charged with sexual abuse. Pope Francis selected Cardinal Pell to run the new economic ministry of The Vatican.
One of the abused victims died in 2014 due to a heroin overdose, he was 31-years-old when he passed away.
77-year-old Pell denies the allegations that have been made against him.
Cardinal Pell has also filed an appeal to the court, the court will look into the appeal to see if there are sufficient grounds for it to be heard. The appeal date has been set on 5 June 2019.