AUSTRALIA
Daily Mail
By Sam McPhee For Daily Mail Australia
The lawyer representing some of the alleged victims against Cardinal George Pell fears backroom deals could be done which see charges ‘watered down’ without their knowledge.
Ingrid Irwin, a Victorian lawyer representing some people accusing the Cardinal of abuse, believes complainants may face becoming ‘lambs to the slaughter’ if the crown and police cut deals during the trial.
‘They are coming in as naive players into a sophisticated legal game…The complainants don’t ever really know what is happening, they’re just coming in there with their truth,’ Ms Irwin told Nine News.
Ms Irwin said sexual abuse complainants often are completely removed from the legal process, making them ‘naive players into a sophisticated legal game.’
She predicts the case will be a drawn-out trial and each individual accuser may fight for separate trials.
However, some senior lawyers are concerned the Cardinal could be adversely affected by juror perceptions of him and the Catholic Church, and have said a judge-alone trial may be appropriate.
QCs Peter Chadwick and Remy van de Weil, who are not connected to the case, have questioned whether a jury can remain impartial during Pell’s trial, the Courier Mail reported.
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