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George Pell to learn High Court fate next week

George Pell could walk from prison as soon as next week, with a date set for the former cardinal to learn the outcome of his last-gasp bid for freedom.

George Pell will soon learn if his last-gasp bid for freedom has been a success. Picture: AAP
George Pell will soon learn if his last-gasp bid for freedom has been a success. Picture: AAP

George Pell will learn the outcome of his High Court appeal next week.

The High Court announced today that it would deliver judgment in the appeal on Tuesday in Brisbane.

Pell is serving a six year jail term, with a non-parole period of three years and eight months.

If his appeal succeeds he could be released from prison immediately.

If he fails, he will be forced to serve the entire sentence.

He was convicted of five charges over the sexual assault of two choirboys at St Patrick’s Cathedral while archbishop of Melbourne in 1996.

But he has vehemently denied ever sexually abusing any child saying at the time he was charged in 2017 that “The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me”.

He failed to overturn the convictions in the Victorian Court of Appeal.

His High Court appeal centred on the argument that the jury were wrong to convict him in light of all the evidence at trial.

READ MORE

THE VICTIM’S STORY IN HIS OWN WORDS

FALLEN PELL SPENDS FIRST NIGHT BEHIND BARS

shannon.deery@news.com.au

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts/george-pell-to-learn-high-court-fate-next-week/news-story/6a471f34b2d8ff6e3d447d13b0017cc3