Melbourne, Australia, Mar 5, 2018 / 17:02 pm
Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, arrived at a Melbourne court Monday to begin the first day of his preliminary hearing over sexual abuse charges brought against him.
The committal hearing, likely to last upwards of one month, is taking place before Magistrate Belinda Wallington at the Melbourne Magistrates Court to determine if Cardinal Pell will ultimately face a trial.
Testimonies from alleged victims will be heard during the hearing, although one abuse charge against the 76-year old cardinal was withdrawn Friday, as the key complainant, Damian Dignan, died in January of leukemia.
However, the total number of charges brought against Pell are not public, although some of the charges previously brought against Pell date as far back as 1961.