From The Compass:
Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of child sexual abuse offenses, has lodged an application with Australia’s High Court to appeal his guilty verdict.
The application to the country’s highest court is Cardinal Pell’s last avenue of appeal and comes 27 days after the Supreme Court of the Australian state of Victoria decided, in a 2-1 decision, not to overturn his conviction on one count of child rape and four counts of indecently assaulting minors. The crimes involved two 13-year-old boys, in 1986 and 1987. According to The Australian newspaper, in the application for special leave to appeal, Cardinal Pell’s legal team said the believability of the single witness was not sufficient for “beyond reasonable doubt.” If the case is heard, it will have widespread ramifications for trials concerning sexual abuse.