Cardinal Pell’s child sexual assault conviction was upheld in the Victorian court of appeal. Now the high court’s decision is that he will walk free from Barwon prison today. Follow live updates
George Pell has issued a statement following the court’s decision.
BREAKING: George Pell responds to High Court decision. This is his first public statement since being jailed. #pell #auslaw @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/uJO0nHbB0s
Dr Cathy Kezelman AM, president of the Blue Knot Foundation, said for many survivors the decision would be “crushing, as the immense courage it takes to stand up and be seen and heard is enormous”.
She says:
“To have to prove that you were abused and betrayed can be more than overwhelming given the profound impacts of trauma.
“The child sexual abuse pandemic within the Catholic church has threatened the safety of millions of children, the adults they become and the very moral fibre of what it means to be human. Pell now has his freedom, but many abuse victims have never been free – trapped in the horror of the crimes which decimated their lives.”
Continue reading...from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2UOlbZr
