Cardinal George Pell jailed for six years for molesting two choirboys in 1990s

George Pell, the most senior Catholic official to be convicted of sexual assault, has been jailed for six years for abusing two teenage choirboys in the 1990s.

The former Vatican treasurer, 77, abused the 13-year-old boys in Melbourne cathedral in 1996, a jury ruled last year. He maintains his innocence and has lodged an appeal.

His downfall brings to the heart of the papal administration a scandal over clerical abuse that has ravaged the Church's credibility in the United States, Chile, Australia and elsewhere over the last three decades.

"In my view, your conduct was permeated by staggering arrogance," a judge said in handing down the sentence after Pell was convicted of five charges of sexually abusing two children.

Jailed: George Pell
AFP/Getty Images

"Viewed overall, I consider your moral culpability across both episodes to be high," he told the packed court room.

Pell, who showed no emotion during the sentencing hearing that ran for more than one hour, has maintained his innocence and has filed an appeal that is scheduled to be heard in June.

The offences against two 13-year-old boys took place after Sunday mass in late 1996 and early 1997 in a room and a corridor at St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne, where Pell was archbishop.

One of the victims died in 2014. The other victim, who testified and was cross-examined at the trial, issued a statement through his solicitor saying he found it hard to take comfort in the verdict for now.

Pell's lawyer Robert Richter leaves the County Court in Melbourne last month
EPA

"Being a witness in a criminal case has not been easy. I am doing my best to hold myself and my family together," said the victim, who cannot be identified under Australian law protecting sex abuse victims.

During the trial the victim described how Pell had exposed himself to them, fondled their genitals and masturbated and forced one boy to perform an oral sex act on him.

Pell was found guilty by a jury on four charges of indecent acts and one of sexual penetration. He faced a maximum of 10 years in jail for each charge

"Cardinal Pell, I find beyond reasonable doubt that, on the specific facts of your case, there was a clear relationship of trust with the victims, and you breached that trust and abused your position to facilitate this offending," the judge said.

The judge said that as Pell had maintained his innocence, which was his right, he had not shown remorse or contrition for his actions and that his sentence reflected that.

Pell's sentencing was shown live on television, reflecting the high level of interest in the case, although only the judge was shown and the broadcast was cut immediately after the sentence was delivered.

Pell was convicted in December, but the verdict was suppressed from being made public in Australia by a court order until February 26, when further child sex offence charges against Pell dating back to the 1970s were dropped.

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