Pell's leave to appeal to the High Court was made today.
Pell's leave to appeal to the High Court was made today.
Interesting.
The Catholic Church in Victoria is facing at least 800 new legal actions for child sexual abuse in the wake of landmark legislation allowing victims to sue the church and revisit unfair settlements made under in-house compensation schemes.
The state government’s decision to abolish the so-called “Ellis defence” ended the church’s long-standing immunity to lawsuits and opened a floodgate of new claims that is threatening the financial stability of religious organisations around the state.
Data collated by The Age and based on case files from eight law firms dealing in institutional abuse found an unprecedented number of legal claims are now before the courts or being drafted on behalf of victims of the clergy.
Among them are lawsuits in the Victorian Supreme Court seeking compensation for abuse by convicted paedophile priests, including Gerald Ridsdale and Paul David Ryan. At least one action has been filed against George Pell. Pell is seeking to appeal to the High Court against his criminal conviction over the abuse of a choirboy.
Cheers, Tiny
"You can lead a person to knowledge, but you can't make them think? If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
The information is out there; you just have to let it in."
ol' boy (27-09-19)
I was told that before Pell was Charged, the Police put adds in the papers to see if anyone else was allegedly abuse by Pell and they said that compensation will be paid upon conviction of Pell. Does anyone in Victoria know about this because up our way I didn't hear about it.
Easy Money to be made and for this money the complainants should have a lie detector first. Out of a hundred wonder how may would pass.
I don't like George Pell's conviction in this particular case, because I believe it sets a very dangerous precedent. However, I am certainly not a Pell supporter. It seems he was part and parcel of a church hierarchy that swept sexual abuse of the children in their care under the carpet and transferred the offenders elsewhere to start again. Ridsdale, the offender referred to in the article I linked to in my last post, is the classic example. Another member here posted of friends of his in the area who told him of Pell's alleged proclivities for young boys at the time. I was talking with an acquaintance over coffee the other day who revealed that he was a student at Ballarat College which is apparently next door to St Patricks College. He talked about attending an annual event for schools called the Head of the Lake, and talking there with students from St Particks and other Catholic schools. What he was told pretty well squares with what was posted here. Whilst these are no more than alleged rumours amongst school children of long ago, it certainly does raise suspicions. However, if Pell was indeed a serial offender over such a long period of time, surely the Police could have come up with something a little better than the case they prosecuted. Quite frankly I regard the circumstances described, whilst not totally impossible, highly improbable and leaving more than a little room for reasonable doubt. However, if Pell is in fact not guilty of these particular offences but is guilty of many others, justice has clearly not been done if the High Court acquits him, as it should.
The problem with sexual attacks on children is that they take place in the shadows, without witnesses. Prompt reporting can lead to the finding of forensic and other evidence to corroborate the attack. Prompt medical attention can also provide corroboration. Reporting such events 20 years later makes an already difficult case far more difficult. The fact is that we are human and fallible. There are many cases where the law simply cannot do justice. A blind belief in accusations is simply not the answer, particularly where there is no corroboration whatsoever and the alleged abuse took place many years ago.
Last edited by DB44; 28-09-19 at 12:30 PM.
lsemmens (28-09-19),OSIRUS (28-09-19),VroomVroom (30-09-19)
DB44 (28-09-19)
Duplicated
There is a fine line between "Hobby" and "Madness"
You'd be better off cutting the prik off, letting it hang only permits more misdeeds.
Seriously, I'm all for dealing with the bad guys, however, if there is a question mark over the evidence, or the conviction, we must err on the side of caution. Pell may have been guilty of cover-ups, but, based on the published evidence, I hold my doubts over his guilt in this case. Of course I was not sitting in court every day listening to the arguments for, or against his guilt, and given the debates since the verdict has been brought down, a re-trial might be useful, although, that is not an option.
I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...
DB44 (29-09-19)
The police in the 70s would have laughed at a victim back then accusing them of lies probably then bashed them and hosed them down with icy water in the middle of winter in the stations drying out cells. Only now is anybody listening. Likely some judges were pedophiles too who operated protection for their like kind in high places.
Last edited by pheggie; 08-10-19 at 12:53 AM.
In the Royal commission, it was found that a group of catholic police were attempting to covering up complaints, why would the Judiciary be any different!
There is a fine line between "Hobby" and "Madness"
High Court agrees to hear Pells appeal.
If the case against Pell isn't thrown out, then we have a VERY serious problem with our justice system.
I am all for prosecution of people guilty of crimes, I am not however supportive of prosecuting someone simply because they are a leader of an organisation. This is what is happening with the Pell case.
Having read the case and evidence against Pell, it is impossible that what is alleged occurred. The biggest, busiest church in Melbourne on the church's busiest day with thousands of people there......and Pell is supposed to have molested 2 boys (one of whom, now deceased was asked by his mother if he was ever molested by a priest and he said No) for 5 full minutes in a room, with the door wide open wearing a ceremonial costume so heavy it takes 3 people to dress him that covers him from neck to ankle, with people in the church.
It is widely acknowledged that Pell has been convicted because the accuser "appears to be a credible and honest witness". Not due to the evidence presented, as you would expect in a trial. In fact at his last appeal which he lost 2 - 1, the 1 judge made some quite pointed remarks about this very fact that had been ignored by the other 2.
The 7 judge appeal doesnt offer a lot of hope, as only 2 are actually trial judges and its well known that the majority of judiciary these days were appointed by the Labor Party. Basically, lots of SJW's who tend to ignore the actual law that they are supposed to represent.
20 years ago, this case would not have even made it to court because of the complete lack of evidence and the impossibility of the crime. Even if it did, it would be dismissed based on LAW, not upheld based on leftism and social justice posturing.
alpha0ne (15-11-19),DB44 (15-11-19),Jma (15-11-19),OSIRUS (15-11-19),VroomVroom (18-11-19)
^ Its not about law as such these days, its about how ppl 'feel'
Now thats a tad hard to believe
Having read the case and evidence against Pell, it is impossible that what is alleged occurred. The biggest, busiest church in Melbourne on the church's busiest day with thousands of people there......and Pell is supposed to have molested 2 boys (one of whom, now deceased was asked by his mother if he was ever molested by a priest and he said No) for 5 full minutes in a room, with the door wide open wearing a ceremonial costume so heavy it takes 3 people to dress him that covers him from neck to ankle, with people in the church.
What happens when he wants to have a pee three of the clergy come and get it out for him,? may be they were choir boys then holding his old fellow and had parkinsons while ???? the mind boggles
but impossible dont think so !!!!!
Read the actual evidence that was put forward by the prosecution, and if you still think its possible .....well its also possible to win Powerball. Hang on to that hope.
I am not religious (one of a minority of my vintage that wasn't even baptised) and I am most certainly not an apologist for the church, priests or sex offenders. Two things in life though, do bug me :
1. Freedom Of Speech - I have spent 21 years moving this website all over the world (with the exception of Australia, which has no free speech laws enshrined in our constitution) so that members can have their say on any issue they like.
2. Unfair Justice - If you want to hang someone, make sure they did actually do the crime. Unfortunately we now live in an age where people are convicted based on whether the complainant seemed "credible", not based on actual facts. This is exactly what we have in this case. If you think that's fair, then you wont have a problem with someone making a false claim against you and doing 5 years for something you didn't do. But hey, you knew a bloke who's brother was friends with a pedophile, so it would be ok to convict you with guilt by association.
The appeal is also pushing the fact that the onus has been put on Pell to prove his innocence, where as the prosecution should have to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt (which they most certainly haven't done).
Today you have Money for the complainants and that it. Take the Money out of it and you wont find a Greedy Lawyer and you will have very few that complain that they have Been Sexually Abused. Its about Money $$$$$$$ More Money for the greedy Lawyers, more Money for the so called Complainants that need a New house a new car and plenty of cashhhh! Yes there is real cases of sexual abuse but I think most of them are in just for money and they dont care that they destroy the person all becayse you dog pissed on your lawn.
Take away money and you might get the truth.
Bookmarks