Child sex abuse victims, Australia reacts to George Pell's guilty verdict

George Pell's former school and AFL club have taken an extraordinary step after victims yelled “burn in hell” and "fry in hell forever" at him after the media was allowed to finally report on his shocking crimes. FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG 

George Pell's former school and AFL club have taken an extraordinary step after victims yelled “burn in hell” and "fry in hell forever' at him minutes after the media was finally allowed to finally report on his shocking crimes.

 

St Patrick’s College at Ballarat says it will remove George Pell’s name from a building which was named in his honour. The Richmond Football Club have removed him as Club Vice Patron. 

The most senior Catholic cleric ever charged with child sex abuse has been convicted of molesting two choirboys moments after celebrating Mass, dealing a new blow to the Catholic hierarchy’s credibility after a year of global revelations of abuse and cover-up. 

Pell, Pope Francis’ top financial adviser and the Vatican’s economy minister, bowed his head but then regained his composure as the 12-member jury delivered unanimous verdicts in the Victoria state County Court on December 11 after more than two days of deliberation.

The court had until today forbidden publication of any details about the trial.

Pell faces a potential maximum 50-year prison term after a sentencing hearing that begins on Wednesday. He has foreshadowed an appeal.

The jury convicted Pell of abusing two 13-year-old boys whom he had caught swigging sacramental wine in a rear room of Melbourne’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral in late 1996, as hundreds of worshippers were streaming out of Sunday services.

Pell, now 77 but 55 at the time, had just been named the most senior Catholic in Australia’s second-largest city, Melbourne.

Pell emerged from Victoria’s County Court to a frenzied melee of armed police, news cameras, international journalists and enraged survivors.

Tuesday is his last day of freedom, on bail, before being taken into custody ahead of sentencing for raping a choirboy and molesting another in the 1990s. Pell, 77, walking taller after a recent double-knee replacement, strode confidently past the hordes to a waiting gold Mercedes before being whisked away to potentially his last night of freedom.

He maintains his innocence and has lodged an appeal against the convictions. “You’re a disgrace,” one man yelled at Pell, who was flanked by a solicitor for the walk to his car.

“You’re going to burn in hell. Burn in hell, Pell,” another man yelled. Pell has been dressed in civilian clothes with a beige jacket, black pants and his clerical collar, throughout the court proceedings.

Police were out in force on Tuesday to maintain order outside court. 

Michael, a child sexual abuse survivor advocate, told a crowd of journalists outside court that it was time to see Pell in jail.

“We want to see him fry in hell forever. He is solely responsible, in Victoria, for the pedophile damage that has been done and damaged thousands and thousands and thousands of people throughout Victoria,” he said.

A statement from the church noted that news of the conviction had shocked Catholics around the world.

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Originally published as Child sex abuse victims, Australia reacts to George Pell's guilty verdict

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