Australian Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Vatican official to be charged in the Catholic Church sex abuse crisis, will face two trials within months on sex crime allegations spanning decades, a court heard today.
Pell appeared for an administrative first hearing in the Victoria state County Court where he will be tried after a magistrate on Tuesday decided he should face a jury but dismissed around half the charges the cleric had faced during a preliminary hearing in a lower court.
His lawyer Robert Richter said today he had agreed with prosecutors to split the remaining charges into two trials.
The charges relating to Pell's time as a priest in his hometown of Ballarat in the 1970s and those relating to his time as archbishop of Melbourne in the 1990s were "of a completely different nature" and "separated by 20 years," Richter told Judge Sue Pullen.
Details of the charges and their number have not been made public.
Pell also wanted the first trial to start soon for several reasons, Richter said.
"Number one, my client is 76 years old and number two, everyone has to get on with their lives," Richter said. Richter also noted that one of the witnesses was 80 years old. Pell has taken leave from his Vatican job as Pope Francis' finance minister and plans to return to it once he is acquitted.
Prosecutor Mark Gibson anticipated the prosecution would need three months to compile its case, but later described that estimate as "conservative," meaning prosecutors could be ready sooner.
Pullen said: "I do think three months is a little excessive." Prosecution and defence lawyers agreed the two separate trials would take a total of between eight and 10 weeks.
Asked by Pullen if Pell could afford his defence, Richter replied the cardinal had "no problem with funding." Pell was allowed to leave the court on bail ahead of his next administrative hearing on May 16. Pullen rejected an application to excuse Pell from attending that day.
Dozens of police linked arms to escort Pell, wearing a dark suit, white shirt and a cleric's collar, through a media throng from the court to a waiting car.
Lawyers for Australia's highest-ranking Catholic have been fighting the allegations since before he was charged in Rome by summons last June.
When Magistrate Belinda Wallington asked Pell on Tuesday how he pleaded, the cardinal said in a firm voice, "Not guilty." It was the first time after numerous court appearances that he had been required to enter a plea.
After Pell was order to stand trial, Vatican spokesman Greg Burke issued a statement saying: "The Holy See has taken note of the decision issued by judicial authorities in Australia regarding His Eminence Cardinal George Pell. Last year, the Holy Father granted Cardinal Pell a leave of absence so he could defend himself from the accusations. The leave of absence is still in place."
Under his bail conditions, Pell cannot leave Australia, contact prosecution witnesses and must give police a 24-hour notice of any change of address.
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