Cardinal George Pell fronts court to fight sexual abuse allegations

Cardinal George Pell will face court under an intense international media glare as a hearing begins that will decide if he stands trial on historical sexual offence charges.

The highest-ranking Catholic official to be charged with sexual abuse will return to the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday to fight the charges at a month-long preliminary hearing. 

Pell, 76, denies the unrelated historical sexual offence charges involving multiple complainants.

Prosecutors on Friday withdrew one of the charges, relating to a complainant who died after the criminal proceedings began in 2017.

The committal hearing will initially be open to the public as the defence and prosecution finalise further administrative matters, but will quickly move behind closed doors as accusers begin their evidence.

The hearing will be closed to the public and media for two weeks while the complainants give their evidence, as required by law in sexual offence cases.

At the end of the four-week proceeding, it will be up to Magistrate Belinda Wallington to decide if there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial in the Victorian County Court.

Dozens of Australian and international journalists are expected to cover the court case, with foreign interest from the BBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Swedish National Radio.

Pell will not have to enter a formal plea unless committed to stand trial, but his barrister Robert Richter QC told the Vatican treasurer’s first court appearance last July that Pell will plead not guilty to all charges.

The former Sydney and Melbourne archbishop and Ballarat priest has taken leave from his position as Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy to fight the charges.

The highest-ranking Catholic official to be charged with sexual abuse will return to the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday to fight the charges