Cardinal Pell Acqitted by high court

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Ex-Vatican treasurer George Pell,78 was released from jail today after Australia's highest court acquitted him of charges of abusing two choir boy's in the 90's.

Cardinal George Pell: I have consistently maintained my innocence while suffering injustice,this has been remedied by our highest court,end of quote.

He also said:My trial was not a referendum on the Catholic church,nor a referendum on how the church deals with paedophillia,the pint was whether I commited these aweful crimes.

The father of alleged victim said:I am heartbroken on this verdict and will continue a civil claim on behalf of the victim.

REUTERS

So it's a green light for catholic priests to molest young children ?! !

Maybe,or maybe Pell was innocent,who knows at this point

More like a yellow light against people who are only after the money...

I'm willing to bet the jury didn't want to send the old pederast to prison, just because he is old, even if he was guilty.

Hard to say if it's about being after the money or the only means left to make someone pay for their crimes. Like when the Goldmans sued O.J. Simpson. That seemed a lot more about depriving Simpson than cashing in.

I wouldn't bother with any further legal actions. I'd just accept having my own set of legal issues to deal with after 'having words' with the molester. You can't always count on the courts seeing justice be done. I'd take the risk that the jury might not sympathize enough to do the right thing because even if you end up in prison at the end of that scenario it will be a relatively easy stay; neither guards nor fellow prisoners will have an issue with your pursuit of justice.

I wonder what it is that leads to this cynical attitude that treats anyone who continues to use their last legal option for anything resembling justice as just looking to cash-in. Like, are those people willing to consider what alternatives someone is left with at that point?

Among things, pursuing justice is expensive, removing cash from the perpetrator is a form of punishment, even if it's not the form one might want to see, and it's the last means of recourse available for law-abiding folks. I don't think society would benefit if everyone took the approach I would be tempted to take even if no one could try to pretend it was about money if one chose to pursue extra-legal methods. Most of us benefit from society not forcing us to 'get our hands dirty', and if that means accepting financial compensation instead of something that might be more emotionally rewarding, most of us, in the long-run would prefer that's how things be handled.

A lot of Australians are scratching their heads at this one.

The pope described Pell's acquittal like Jesus rising from the dead...but no surprises there

He's right, it's a miracle when a man who's so clearly guilty walks.

Indeed it is a miracle....sprinkle some holy water and he is indeed born again...

"You can't punish me, I've confessed."

Man, I wish I could have used that excuse, but apparently you need magic white collar before it works.

If you can get the pope to vouch for your sins then that's half the job done, After all he speaks with god's authority

It could always be worse, they used to be entitled to not have to face non-ecclesiastical courts. Simply trying them in court represents a significant improvement compared to earlier eras.

Yes back in the day if you were caught brewing a home remedy or daring to say earth went around the sun then ecclesiastic courts were very swift in burning such sinners at the stake.

From what I have been able to find through research, his son had denied ever having anything happen, so I'd say it's more likely a cash grab.

Based on the evidence I have been able to track down (and the fact the the high court verdict was 7:0), I also cannot see how Cardinal Pell was convicted in the first place, but I suppose it comes down to the method of presentation (along with unconcious biases everyone has) and the persuasion within a jury room, as much as the actual evidence.