sexually assaulted two choir boys in a melbourne cathedral in one thousand nine hundred ninety six the unanimous verdict was handed down on december eleventh but due to a suppression order reporting is only now being allowed a previous trial resulted in a hung jury pelle has always denied the charges. and simple. i'm innocent of these charges of the photos the whole idea of sexual abuse is apparent to me. cal is on leave from his role as treasurer the third most powerful position in the vatican. he is also australia's most senior catholic cleric. and. pope francis has in the past praised pell for his response to abuse but his conviction is another stain on a church whose leaders are accused of failing to deal with child sexual abuse