“Verdict is perverse”

Defense attorney for Australian Cardinal George Pell, convicted of abuse, Robert Richter, quits. It would be better for the cardinal to be supported by someone who could provide more distance, the lawyer said.

Defense attorney Robert Richter will not represent his client Cardinal George Pell on appeal. He was "emotionally" too involved in the case and "angry" at Pell's guilty verdict in the abuse trial, the star lawyer told the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on Tuesday.

"I'm angry about the verdict because I think it's perverse," Richter is quoted as saying. At the same time, the lawyer dismissed speculation that he had "resigned" from his role on Pell's defense team. "If needed" he would be available for consultations.

Found guilty

The cardinal had been found guilty of sexual abuse by a jury in Australia in late February. Pending the announcement of the sentence on 13. March he must remain in pretrial detention. The cardinal was found guilty of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy in the sacristy of Melbourne Catholic Cathedral and molesting another while he was archbishop in 1996. Pell maintains his innocence and has filed an appeal.

Judge has represented the cardinal since 2017. Last week, he had publicly apologized for downplaying sexual assaults on minors as "flower sex". "In an effort to secure a lenient sentence, I used a completely inappropriate choice of words for which I deeply apologize to all who interpreted them in a way they were never meant," a statement from Judge read.

Civil suit against him

Meanwhile, Pell could face another trial. A 50-year-old man is planning a civil lawsuit against him, according to Australian media. The new case involves allegations of sexual misconduct at a swimming pool in Pell's hometown of Ballarat in the 1970s. The accusation was initially to be the subject of a second criminal trial, but that was dropped by the prosecutor's office.

He felt "empty" when the criminal case was dropped without him testifying, the man accusing Pell said, according to Australian newspaper The Age. It took him "a lot of courage to tell his story," the newspaper quotes from the statement of claim.

Compensation for psychological damage, medical expenses and loss of salary

According to the report, the man plans to file a lawsuit not only against Pell, but also against the Australian state of Victoria, the Melbourne archdiocese and the operators of the Catholic children's home where he was living at the time of the alleged abuse. He is seeking compensation for emotional damages, medical expenses and lost wages.

Judge doubted that he had "sufficient objectivity" as defense counsel to move the appeal forward himself, one of Pell's other legal representatives said. The prominent defense lawyer's law firm confirmed that it was not Richter's practice to conduct a trial and then also to initiate an appeal.

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Christina Cherry
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