AUSTRALIA
The Guardian
Calla Wahlquist
Cardinal George Pell has appeared in the Melbourne magistrates court charged with multiple historical sexual abuse offences.
Seated behind his lawyer, Robert Richter, QC, dressed in a simple black suit and clerical collar, Pell did not speak throughout the six-minute filing hearing.
Richter said that while Pell was not required to enter a plea unless and until the matter was committed for trial, he would, because of the media and public interest in the case, indicate a plea of not guilty now.
“Cardinal Pell will plead not guilty to all charges and will maintain the presumption of innocence,” he said.
Magistrate Duncan Reynolds ordered that the prosecution serve a brief of evidence by 8 September with Pell to return to court for a committal mention on 6 October.
Prosecutor Andrew Tinney, SC, said Pell was facing “multiple historic sexual offence charges with respect to multiple complainants”.
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