Vatican treasurer is found guilty of child abuse

Photo: Reuters

The Cardinal George Pell, who is the third most powerful man of the Vatican and the most important Catholic in Australia, was found guilty of badual abuse of children after a trial in Melbourne.

A jury rendered the unanimous verdict on December 11 in the yard of Melbourne County, but the result was the subject of a deletion order and could not be reported until now.

A preliminary test on them five charges, which began in August, led to a new trial.

Pell, who was suspended from his position as treasurer of the Vatican, wasfound guilty of badually abusing a child under 16 years of age, plus four other charges forinappropriate behavior against the same child. The crimes were committed in December 1996 and early 1997 in St. Patrick's Cathedral, several months after the inauguration of Pell as Archbishop of Melbourne.

He should be sentenced on Wednesdayafter being released on bail since the verdict and recovering from knee surgery.

With information from The Guardian

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