Pell's first trial and conviction had initially been subject to a suppression order issued by Judge Peter Kidd, suppressing coverage of the conviction by Australian media companies, and lifted on 26 February 2019 after pending charges in a second trial were dropped. International media reported on the conviction immediately, commenting on the difficulty confirming details of the trial and conviction due to the suppression order. Pell lodged an appeal against his conviction on three grounds, including a claim that the jury verdict was unreasonable. The appeal was heard on 5–6 June 2019 and judgement has been reserved until 21 August; meanwhile, Pell remains in prison.As a true crime fan, I stumbled on a video recording of a police interrogation of Pell, by Melbourne police possibly in Rome, on a YouTube channel that specializes in such recordings. The Pell interrogation starts at about 18:00 and continues with Judge Kidd's sentencing statement. The police interview relates to allegations of abuse against two choirboys in 1996, for which Pell was subsequently convicted. According to Wikipedia,
On 11 December 2018, Pell was convicted on five counts of child sexual abuse of two boys in the 1990s, after a jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict. Evidence against Pell described wilful exposure, fondling, masturbation and oral rape. International news sources reported the conviction at the time, but the suppression order was generally respected by the Australian media.The interrogation in the YouTube video appears to cover the specific allegations that were covered in the trial, and on which Pell was convicted by a jury. While the interrogation is not a trial, and the police are employing techniques, including deception, that are intended to further their own objectives, the specific allegations raised in the interview appear to have credibility, and it appears that the Australian jury found them credible as well.
The suppression order, which has apparently prevented the release of detailed information about the trial, seems to have limited informed discussion about Pell's case and may also have contributed to a feeling in the US that Pell was martyred.
Pell has appealed the conviction, and the Supreme Court for the Australian state of Victoria will issue its decision on the appeal this coming Wednesday, August 21. A detailed update on his appeal from an Australian perspective is here.
