Breaking: The High Court quashes George Pell's conviction, with Cardinal Pell to walk free from prison.
A full bench of the High Court of Australia has quashed the conviction of Cardinal George Pell, meaning he will walk free from prison. "The High Court found that the jury, acting rationally on the whole of the evidence, ought to have entertained a doubt as to the applicant's guilt with respect to each of the offences for which he was convicted, and ordered that the convictions be quashed and that verdicts of acquittal be entered in their place," the judgement read.
In December 2018 a jury found him guilty of the sexual penetration of a child under the age of 16 and four counts of committing an indecent act with or in the presence of a child. Previous court hearings of Pell's involved supporters and opponents of the cardinal gathering outside the court. But on Tuesday the High Court of Australia sat virtually due to coronavirus social distancing measures.
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