Title : Australia’s highest ranking Catholic George Pell to stand trial on historical sexual offence charges
link : Australia’s highest ranking Catholic George Pell to stand trial on historical sexual offence charges
Australia’s highest ranking Catholic George Pell to stand trial on historical sexual offence charges
- Cardinal George Pell appeared at a Melbourne court on Tuesday morning
- Magistrate Belinda Wallington decided the 76-year-old will stand trial
- She said there's evidence of sufficient weight on multiple historical sex charges
- 'Most serious charges' against 76-year-old Pell were dismissed by magistrate
Melbourne magistrate Belinda Wallington on Tuesday ordered Cardinal George Pell (pictured), Australia's most senior Catholic, to stand trial on a number of historical sexual offence charges
Cardinal George Pell will stand trial on a number of historical sexual offence charges, but the most serious have been dismissed.
Melbourne magistrate Belinda Wallington on Tuesday ordered Pell, 76, to stand trial on some charges and but struck out half of those she was asked to consider.
Australia's most senior Catholic cleric has strenuously denied all charges and was in court on Tuesday to plead not guilty.
Among the charges thrown out of court was an allegation Pell abused a complainant during a screening of the film Close Encounters of a Third Kind at a country Victorian cinema.
Charges alleging Pell had continued to abuse the same complainant over a 12-month period at a church and another location were also struck out.
Australia's most senior Catholic cleric has strenuously denied all charges and was in court on Tuesday to plead not guilty (pictured is Pell surrounded by police and media after court on Tuesday)
'The most serious offending alleged could not have occurred in the time frame alleged,' Ms Wallington said.
'I find that the evidence of a whole is not of sufficient weight for a jury to convict.'
Ms Wallington also struck out another charge centred on an incident at a swimming pool after she found the complainant was an 'unsatisfactory witness'.
'His lack of recall was often a non-responsive way of avoiding answering questions,' she told the court.
A court sketch of Cardinal George Pell at the Melbourne Magistrates Court
While Pell will stand trial on some offences, the most serious were thrown out of court
Among the charges thrown out was an allegation Pell (pictured) abused a complainant during a screening of the film Close Encounters of a Third Kind at a country Victorian cinema
A bible is held up by a member of the crowd gathered in front of the court
A demonstrator yells outside the court on Tuesday morning
Tuesday's decision follows a four-week long pre-trial committal hearing in March during which more than 30 people were cross-examined by the defence (Pell is seen leaving court)
'It is difficult to see how a jury can convict on the evidence of a man who said he can't recall what he said a minute ago.'
Ms Wallington said the complainant represented one of the rare instances when a witness' 'cavalier attitude' to giving evidence meant 'no jury can put weight upon it'.
Tuesday's decision follows a four-week long pre-trial committal hearing in March during which more than 30 people were cross-examined by the defence.
The charges committed for trial will be dealt with by Victoria's County Court.
The charges committed for trial will be dealt with by Victoria's County Court
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