Cases of abuse in the Church: the vow of silence

From Melbourne a message that is not likely to come from Melbourne. There has been a few days ago, a jury trial, the 77-year-old Australian cardinal George Pell of sexual abuse of two altar boys guilty. Pell is one of the most powerful men in the world Church: Pope Francis made him in the beginning of 2014 to head the new economic and financial Secretariat in the Vatican, in addition, Pell, until recently, belonged to the nine members of the Kardinalsrat in Rome, the main Advisory body of the Pope. Pell is described as “number three” in the Vatican, to the Pope and to cardinal Secretary of state Pietro Parolin, the chief diplomats of the papal state.

If such a high-ranking Pope’s confidant sentenced in his home country as a child molester, then the “Front Page News”. May not be the judgment. Because the judge in the now-finished process as well as in a second abuse case against Pell, which is due to begin in February, has imposed a news blackout. Australian media not allowed to report, under penalty of high fines on the processes – not the charges, not about the witnesses and lawyers ‘ statements, not even about the ruling. The judge justified the ban with the potential to influence the jury by a prejudgement of the cardinal in the media. The prohibition should apply until the conclusion of the proceedings in the last instance – presumably for several years.

a decades-long cover-up

The American news website “The Daily Beast” has established itself as the first on the prohibition and citing sources in a court in Melbourne of the guilty verdict was reported. The example of international media, citing its own sources, and “the Daily Beast”. Also, this newspaper has reported. That cardinal Pells could be chances of a fair trial is to be by open reporting, is an adventurous idea. From their marketing speak: The jury will be deprived of maturity, and judgment, which the judge claimed exclusively for themselves. World foreign is also the assumption that information in the digital age, permanently. Victims of clerical abuse feel due to the news blackout of the judge in Melbourne on the tactics of the Catholic Church to protect sex crimes by clergy for decades to cover up and instead of the victim of the offender.