This morning 13th of March 2019 Cardinal George Pell was sentenced to six years prison for sexually abusing minors in 1996. The judge was at pains to point out that Pell was being sentenced for what he had done personally and not what the Church had done or not done. The maximum sentence is fifty years.
Pell will be eligible for parole in three years and eight months but commentators believe he may die in prison because of his delicate health. He will be held in virtual solitary confinement because prison authorities believe he may be attacked by other prisoners.
It would have been impossible to prosecute this case twenty years ago and Cardinals were considered untouchable. The chief judge, Peter Kidd, told Pell that “Your conduct was permeated by staggering arrogance.”
Other victims are now queuing up to take civil action against Pell and the Church.
In the past century all of the churches and religions have abused thousands of children in Australia, and few if any of the offenders have been punished.
This is probably just the tip of the iceberg as more victims in more churches become encouraged to tell their stories.
Photo Andy Brownbill/Associated Press
