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Cardinal Pell denies abuse charges in Australian court
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On the way:Cardinal Pell says on June 29 that he will return to Australia to face sex abuse charges.
Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP (AFP/Alberto Pizzoli)
V
atican finance chief Cardinal George Pell, a top advisor to Pope Francis, denied all charges of historical sexual abuse Wednesday at his first appearance in an Australian court over the allegations.
The 76-year-old, the number-three figure in the Vatican, returned from Rome earlier this month to face the charges in Melbourne Magistrates Court.
Details of the charges have not been made public although police said they involved "multiple complainants". The former Sydney and Melbourne archbishop has always maintained his innocence.
Looking sombre and frail, he attended the hearing with his lawyer, top criminal barrister Robert Richter, who told the court his client was not guilty -- even though a formal plea was not required at this stage.
"For the avoidance of doubt and because of the interest, I might indicate that Cardinal Pell pleads not guilty to all charges and will maintain the presumed innocence that he has," Richter told the court, national broadcaster ABC reported.
Pell, dressed in black and wearing his clerical collar, remained silent throughout with magistrate Duncan Reynolds ruling that evidence needs to be handed to his legal team by September 8, with the next court date set for October 6.
The cleric made no comment as he was escorted by a group of police through a crush of cameras, reporters and photographers into the court, which hears hundreds of cases a week for alleged crimes ranging from theft to murder.
Several photographers were knocked over in the melee.
Similar scenes greeted his departure after the brief hearing as he was ushered around 100 metres (yards) down the road to his lawyer's offices surrounded by security, with a handful of supporters shouting "this is a show trial" and "innocent" as he walked past.
