Melbourne, Australia, Mar 6, 2019 / 11:25 am
An Australian court announced Wednesday that Cardinal George Pell's application for leave to appeal his conviction of sexual abuse will be heard June 5-6.
Pell, 77, was convicted in December on five counts of sexual abuse stemming from charges that he sexually assaulted two choirboys while serving as Archbishop of Melbourne in 1996. He has maintained his innocence.
It was the cardinal's second trial, as a jury in an earlier trial had failed to reach a unanimous verdict. The first jury were deadlocked 10-2 in Pell's favor.
Pell's appeal will by led by barrister Bret Walker, SC, who will be assisted by Robert Richter, QC, the cardinal's defense lawyer; Paul Galbally, his solicitor; and Ruth Shann, Richter's junior barrister.