Cardinal Pell Will Never Receive a Fair Trial

The media witch-hunt against Cardinal George Pell ensures that he can never get a fair trial, writes the columnist Angela Shanahan in The Australian.

According to her the yearlong public campaign against Pell by Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton combined with the sustained efforts of the ABC and Fairfax Media, have ensured that any real evidence of wrongdoing has long become a secondary consideration to the vibe.

Shanahan quotes the "Justice Institute of Victoria", which said, that the lack of regard for the cardinal’s rights was “a startling affront” to the cornerstone of the legal system.

Amanda Vanstone, a former Australian ambassador to the Vatican, wrote on May 30, “The media frenzy surrounding Cardinal George Pell is the lowest point in civil discourse in my lifetime … no better than a lynch mob from the dark ages."

Picture: George Pell, © Kerry Myers, CC BY, #newsSlnscekfvm