Pell has been held in solitary confinement, and is not permitted to celebrate Mass in prison. He has recently obtained a prison job weeding a courtyard.
Cornish said Paul Galbally, Pell's solicitor, contacted her prior to his first trial, and they talked at length and then again later. She said she had to think through the dates at first, and then called him and told him she was not actually in an office in the sacristies at that time, but later had a full-time job and an office diagonally across the corridor from the archbishop's sacristy.
"I think Paul did not think my testimony would be helpful," she said.
Sinozic also spoke to Pell's solicitor at the beginning of the trial, but says she was never contacted after that. She said she'd agreed to testify, but said she suspects that she was not called as a witness because she wasn't there on those actual dates.
"I think maybe they thought it wasn't necessary, but I thought it would have given the jury a different perspective of the man if two laypeople got up, particularly women, and particularly teachers," she commented.
"We know how to spot children who are out of place, because we did yard duty for many years and we can tell if something's amiss. And we would have given a different side of view for the jury to perhaps reflect on. Because they were saying it's just priests sticking up for each other- a men's club."
Cornish echoed Sinozic, saying that both of them dealt with every aspect of cathedral life, with Lil having been a vice principal and Jean having been a principal of a school of 1,000 children, and having dealt with pedophile cases before.
"I just think that Lillian Sinozic and I would have perhaps been able to give an overall picture long term of the workings of the cathedral from a female perspective...However I accept that at the time the lawyers probably thought we could not add anything to the picture."
Pell's attorneys did not respond to a CNA request for comment.
Pell's appeal was presented on three grounds, two of which were procedural and dismissed by all three appeal judges.
The judges were divided on Pell's primary ground of appeal, that the decision of the jury was "unreasonable."
At particular issue was the question of whether the jury which convicted Pell had properly weighed all of the evidence presented in his defense, or reached the determination of guilt despite the demonstration of clear "reasonable doubt" that he committed the crimes with which he was charged.
Chief Justice Anne Ferguson and Court President Chris Maxwell formed the majority in favor of rejecting Pell's appeal that the jury verdict was unreasonable on the evidence presented, finding that it was open to the jury to find beyond "reasonable doubt about the truth of the complainant's account."
In an extensive dissent from the majority finding, Justice Mark Weinberg noted that the entirety of the evidence against Pell consisted of the testimony of a single accuser, whereas more than 20 witnesses were produced to testify against his narrative.
Pell will appeal his conviction to the Australian High Court, exercising his last legal avenue to overturn his conviction.
"Pell comes across on TV as a bit arrogant and cold, but that's not what he's really like," Sinozic said.
"And people get the wrong idea of him and just dislike him for some reason. So they were happy to blame him and use him as a scapegoat for all the other people that did something."
Cornish also defended Pell's character.
"Nothing will convince me that the Cardinal was capable or had tendencies towards committing this crime. A finer, more upstanding man I have never met," she said.
"He is a man of black and white. He says what he believes, always taught what is right and is no man's fool...He is a family man, equally at home in the presence of women, men and children."
Jonah McKeown is a staff writer and podcast producer for Catholic News Agency. He holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has worked as a writer, as a producer for public radio, and as a videographer. He is based in St. Louis.