April 2020. Canberra, Australia – Australia’s highest court on Tuesday quashed Cardinal George Pell’s convictions for child sexual assault paving the way for the 78-year-old to be released from prison, a decision experts warned could further undermine survivors’ trust in the court system. The judgement was read by Chief Justice Susan Kiefel to a near-empty High Court in Brisbane with only a handful of journalists and observers allowed inside due to coronavirus social distancing regulations. In a modern touch, the court tweeted and published its decision, which was unanimous, online. The High Court’s website crashed shortly after the judgement papers were uploaded. Pell is expected to walk free later today from his jail cell in Victoria’s Barwon Prison, where his lawyers told him the news. The decision means there are no further avenues for this legal process, although new charges could be brought by other accusers. The High Court found that, based on the evidence put forward, the jury should have found that there was reasonable doubt as to Pell’s guilt. There was “a significant possibility that an innocent person has been convicted because the evidence did not establish guilt to the requisite standard of proof,” the bench found. A statement issued by Pell shortly after the judgement said that he had “consistently maintained my innocence while suffering from a serious injustice”.
Apr 2020. Cardinal Pell Walks Free in Australia
