Melbourne Court has found Cardinal George Pell, who till recently served as the treasurer at the Vatican guilty of child sex abuse. Pell who is Australia’s highest ranking priest is known to have been particularly close to Pope Francis. Pell was found guilty of five counts of child sex abuse and was convicted.
After the court ruling the Vatican has prohibited Pell from having any contact with minors and from conducting public ministry. The church has in recent years faced a series of child sex abuse allegations against priests and has faced criticism for trying to overlook these serious crimes and attempting to brush them under the carpet. Pell was found guilty of sexually assaulting two boys way back in 1996 while one of them testified against Pell the other is no longer alive. The individual who testified against the cardinal whose identity is not disclosed said that he felt depressed alone and hopeless due to the abuse he received from Pell.
