Hi there HENRYL...

I agree with much of what you've said, apropos this disgusting behaviour, that has been occurring, since well before the beginning of Christianity?

All I wanted to add, as a retired detective, these types of crimes are considered among the worst to be committed against the person. Inevitably most police have trouble keeping their hands deeply set in their pockets; such is the rage most of us feel when confronting these types of perpetrators.

Some offenders even gloat about their lofty social & vocational positions, almost presuming they're beyond prosecution. Moreover, a few of them have claimed they possess some inalienable right to engage in such disgusting practices, because of their family relationship to the victim. Even going so far as berating police for their audacity to even question them about such matters? Many offenders I know, have never acknowledged, the seriousness & awfulness of their crime(s), which is a real worry.

The offence of Pedophilia is incurable. Save for the most dramatic efforts of chemical castration, as practiced in the USA. Which I understand, only removes the physical ability to engage in a sexual act, but their minds still possess those evil urges, irrespective of all the unique counselling they're mandated to undergo in Gaol. Unfortunately HENRYL, this ugly offence is here to stay, and there seems to be bugger all we can do about it, regrettably.

Dear mhaze,

So you come in here and highlight just how much the abuse can negatively impact lives and you think you are somehow making our case?

You can be so bloody thick some times.

Suicide or early death through drug and alcohol abuse later in life is a recognised result of lives going off the rails because of childhood sexual abuse. That it has been shown to have occurred in not one but two of the cases where Pell has got his rocks off using young bodies. One can only guess how many more there might have been.

Enough with the victim shaming and instead go find yourself at least one little dollop of empathy because right now it is evident you have none.

And I certainly wasn't hiding anything having posted a direct link to the full report, something you should keep in mind when you next run with scant evidence.

I have learnt a little more today.

Before 2015 there was presumption of innocence in Victoria and I understand that if accusations were made about a person, with no corroborating evidence, the case was dismissed or the judge instructed the jury to find the accused not guilty.

On the 29 th June 2015 the Jury Directions Act changed all that and a single complaint from an accuser forces the accused to prove his innocence. Also the new 2015 Act removed the need for a judge to direct a jury to be wary of uncorroborated evidence. This changed the value of victims written statements to a level that can now no longer be questioned.

So in Victoria now we have a system whereby upon accusations the accused exists under a presumption of guilt.

I never thought I would see such a system in Australia, but that is the system George Pell was convicted under.

Dear HenryL,

The same rules apply to get into Heaven as well. So do you think Pell will get in? And remember God is watching and God knows everything!

Oh SR so you knew all these extra details that made this chap seem less convincing but elected to keep schtum. Good idea. After all if we have all the facts we might reach the right conclusion which in your view is the wrong conclusion.

" find yourself at least one little dollop of empathy"

I have plenty of empathy for those who have been shown to have suffered at the hands of Catholics or other clergy, police, teachers or even ALP pollies. But I reserve my sympathy for those who I know suffered. I don't go tearing up every time I hear some sob story from someone whose story and motivations are suspect and who can't demonstrate their claims. I also have sympathy for those who have suffered at the hands of a vendetta.

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Yes HenryL, this is what I was talking about earlier. This whole sorry tale is the result of a combination of factors. The legislation was changed so that those accused of sex offences were more likely to be gaoled. But they are more likely to be found guilty if the ground is laid, as it was in this case, by a decades long attack on the character of the target by the police and the state-run media. They all set out to get Pell and they did.

But as I said, these things have a habit on rebounding on the perpetrators. There will come a time when others will be on the wrong side of this equation and those who done this disservice to a centuries long judicial system will rue that day.

yep the thread just shows Pell is paying the penalty for the sins of the Catholic church. The haters of the church confirm that. Personally I went through the whole Catholic system. I left because of their totally unbiblical teachings. In saying that, I in all my years of nuns and priests knew of no abuse albeit there were some very quirky priests. No more than many of the teachers in all schools today.

And of course no one cares much about the epidemic levels of sexual abuse in the Indigeneous world today. Just does not fit the sick leftist narrative that it was mainly homosexual priests who commit these horrendeous acts.