Cardinal George Pell has been taken to the Melbourne Assessment Prison where he is spending his first night behind bars after having his bail revoked in the County Court.

• George Pell was convicted of five child sex offences in December
• He will be sentenced on March 13
• He has withdrawn an application for bail and will remain in custody

Pell, 77, has been remanded in custody for the first time on five child sex offences, which he was convicted of last December.

A jury found him guilty of sexually abusing two choirboys when he was archbishop of Melbourne in the late 1990s.

Pell will be sentenced on March 13.

"Goodbye you creep," a woman called out as Pell walked from the dock and into custody accompanied by corrections officers.

Pell had been granted bail after his conviction in December last year, because he required knee surgery in Sydney.

Read more:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-27/george-pell-faces-court-after-con...

At top is what I think is my best cartoon yet. For the young people who are not up too speed, it refers to when John Howard appointed an Archbishop as Governor General of Australia with dire results...

Peter John Hollingworth AC, OBE (born 10 April 1935) is an Australian retired Anglican bishop. Engaged in social work for several decades, he served as the archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane for 11 years from 1989 and was the 1991 Australian of the Year. He served as the 23rd Governor-General of Australia from 2001 until 2003. He is also an author and recipient of various civil and ecclesiastical honours. In 2003 he became only the third Australian governor-general to resign, after criticisms were aired over his conduct as Archbishop of Brisbane in the 1990s.

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In December 2001, allegations were raised that, during his time as Archbishop of Brisbane, Hollingworth had failed to deal appropriately with sex abuse allegations made against a church teacher at Toowoomba Preparatory School. That month, the Brisbane Anglican diocese was ordered to pay $834,800 damages to the woman who had been found to have been sexually abused.[4] Hetty Johnston, an advocate for child sex abuse victims, instigated a campaign calling for Hollingworth to resign. Hollingworth told the Australian media that, as a newly appointed archbishop at the time, he lacked the experience to handle the matter. He also said he had not believed that the case involved sexual abuse, but conceded he had not done enough to stop abuses occurring.[8] Hollingworth subsequently apologised to the Toowoomba victim and released a formal statement condemning child sexual abuse but by February 2002, the Labor Opposition was calling for Hollingworth to be dismissed. Hollingworth stepped down from his positions as the Brisbane Lions' No 1 ticket holder, patron of Barnardos, Kids First Foundation and the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.[4]

Phillip Aspinall, Hollingworth's successor as archbishop, ordered an inquiry, which concluded that in 1993 Hollingworth had allowed a known paedophile to continue working as a priest.[8] In May 2003, the report by the Diocese of Brisbane into the handling of the cases was tabled in the Queensland parliament by the Labor Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie.[9] On 8 May, Hollingworth issued a public statement denying allegations that he had raped a woman in the 1960s.[10] Both the deputy prime minister, John Anderson, and the treasurer, Peter Costello, indicated in early May that Hollingworth should consider his position. After meeting with Howard on 11 May, Hollingworth stood aside.[4][7] On 28 May 2003, he announced his resignation[8] and his commission as governor-general was revoked as of 29 May 2003.[1] As a former governor-general, Hollingworth has an annual government pension, as well as an office and staff in Melbourne's CBD.[11]

Read more:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Hollingworth

The broadcaster Ray Hadley has criticised former Liberal prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott for expressing sympathy with George Pell, warning that to doubt the verdict is to call the cardinal’s victim a liar.

The conservative broadcaster told 2GB Radio on Thursday Howard had gone “way over the top” by providing a “gushing reference”.

“It’s my opinion Mr Abbott and Mr Howard have made gross errors of judgment,” Hadley said, noting that paedophiles escaped punishment because they hid their crimes and “con their friends and colleagues”.

“This is not over, there is an appeal process. For someone as prominent as Mr Howard to basically say the victim’s a liar and Pell’s not, is not what it should be about.”

On Thursday morning the head of a child sexual abuse legal service also condemned columnists who have expressed their disbelief in the verdict, warning it sends an “incredibly damaging message to survivors”.

Warren Strange, the executive officer of Knowmore legal service, told a parliamentary inquiry he expected the “unprecedented” publicity around the Pell case to drive a spike in claims but media commentary doubting the verdict might deter victims from seeking justice.

Read more:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/28/commentators-doub...

Read from top.

The sentencing of George Pell: 6 years imprisonment. with parole of three years and eight months 

see the video of the sentencing:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-13/-george-pell-being-sentenced/10879958

A former New Jersey priest was shot dead in his Nevada home — a month after his name appeared on a list of Garden State priests credibly accused of sexual abuse, authorities said.

John Capparelli, 70, was found with a fatal gunshot wound to his neck in the kitchen of his home in Henderson, the Clark County Coroner’s Office said.

The defrocked Roman Catholic priest died under “suspicious circumstances” and his death is being investigated as a homicide, City of Henderson Police said.

“The world is a safer place without him,” said Richard Fitter, a man who accused Capparelli of abuse, to The Star-Ledger after hearing about his death.

“Whatever led to his death, it’s a certain amount of karma.”

A police spokeswoman wouldn’t say if Capparelli’s death is related to the sex abuse accusations against him because “the case is still an open investigation.”

Read more:

https://nypost.com/2019/03/12/ex-priest-accused-of-sex-abuse-found-shot-...