Cardinal George Pell committed to stand trial on historical sexual assault charge
George Pell has been committed to stand trial before a jury on at least one historical sexual assault charge.
Magistrate Belinda Wallington has discharged Cardinal Pell of some other alleged offences.
Cardinal Pell, Australia's most senior Catholic and the man who a year ago oversaw management of the Vatican's finances, is appearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court having been charged last year with multiple offences against multiple complainants.
Ms Wallington earlier struck out some of the charges against Cardinal Pell, citing insufficient evidence to send him to trial.
However on one charge she said there was sufficient weight for a jury to convict Cardinal Pell, and committed him to trial.
The 76-year-old did not react when Ms Wallington dismissed the first set of charges, having heard a four-week committal hearing, including the evidence of his accusers, in March.
Ms Wallington found there was insufficient evidence to commit Cardinal Pell to trial on the first series of charges and struck them out.
The first set of allegations related to an accuser who alleged sexual offending in a cinema in the 1970s in Ballarat, where Cardinal Pell was then working as a priest, and throughout the area over the following year.
Cardinal Pell had long denied the allegations.
Ms Wallington said there were inconsistencies in the complainant's evidence and that there was insufficient weight for Cardinal Pell to stand trial before a judge and jury on those charges.
Flanked by up to 40 police officers, Cardinal Pell arrived at the court in a white sedan just after 9am. He wore a dark coloured suit and white shirt.
The police separated the Cardinal’s path from the public as protesters arrived with laminated signs reading “every child deserves a safe and happy childhood”.
Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart released a statement saying he declined to make any comment about the decision to commit Cardinal Pell to face trial in the County Court.
Archbishop Hart expressed his confidence in the judicial system in Australia and said that justice must now take its course.
The hearing continues.
More to come.