Aussie court reserves ruling in cardinal’s abuse case

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - Australia’s top court on Thursday reserved its judgement in a sexual abuse case involving a cardinal, local media reported.

Canberra-based High Court of Australia heard arguments from two sides for two days during which Cardinal George Pell’s lawyers sought annulment of his conviction, ABC news reported.

Pell, 78, Australia’s senior most Catholic and former financial controller of the Vatican, is in jail after he was convicted for six years in December 2018 on five charges -- including sexually abusing two 13 year-old choir boys in 1996 soon after Sunday mass at a time when he was Archbishop of Melbourne.

He serves a non-parole period of three years and eight months.

His legal team has petitioned Australia’s apex court to grant special leave to Pell to appeal against his conviction and also overturn the conviction given by a lower court.

The seven-member bench sought written submissions from Pell’s team and prosecution within two days for consideration in final judgement for which date is yet to be announced.