The media erupted this week as Cardinal
George Pell was convicted of Historical Child Sexual
Abuse.
Evidence Beyond Reasonable Doubt
In any criminal case a judge or jury must adhere to a very
strict standard of proof. That is, a hearing will only be run on
what can be proven upon the admissible evidence. The offence must
be established beyond any reasonable doubt.
It is often the case in criminal proceedings that the heavy
evidence burden can leave survivors of child sexual abuse feeling
disheartened, disempowered and as though they have no further
course of action.
Let me explain …
The verdict against Cardinal Pell relates only to allegations
that he assaulted two 13-year-old choir boys at the St
Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne in 1996 after a Sunday mass
and again assaulting one of the boys in 1997. This was no doubt a
difficult case for the crown to prove, with very limited
evidentiary material to call upon, particularly as one victim had
died.
