AUSTRALIA
Daily Mail

By Sam McPhee For Daily Mail Australia

The lawyer representing some of the alleged victims against Cardinal George Pell fears backroom deals could be done which see charges ‘watered down’ without their knowledge.

Ingrid Irwin, a Victorian lawyer representing some people accusing the Cardinal of abuse, believes complainants may face becoming ‘lambs to the slaughter’ if the crown and police cut deals during the trial.

‘They are coming in as naive players into a sophisticated legal game…The complainants don’t ever really know what is happening, they’re just coming in there with their truth,’ Ms Irwin told Nine News.

Ms Irwin said sexual abuse complainants often are completely removed from the legal process, making them ‘naive players into a sophisticated legal game.’

She predicts the case will be a drawn-out trial and each individual accuser may fight for separate trials.

However, some senior lawyers are concerned the…