Greg Sheridan, as expected has written a glowing tribute to #Pell, in The Australian, of course.
It's an indulgent piece, afforded to Sheridan because he is Pell's friend and in a powerful position at The Australian. Let's drill down.
1/
Sheridan starts by regurgitating the idea that Pell is a victim of 'anti-Catholic Hysteria'.
Sheridan, like others never suggest why complainants, with zero to gain, would voluntarily subject themselves to examination by ruthless Barristers like Robert Richter.
2/
Sheridan, in a deceptive attempt to sound reasonable, acknowledges the scourge of abuse in The Church, but tempers it by suggesting it was the same everywhere.
He ignores the industrial scale protection racket run by the Church and dismisses the Royal Commission findings.
3/
He also ignores the comparative scale of child sexual abuse in The Catholic Church. Dr Vivian Waller who has represented many victims gives critical insight here.
Sheridan goes on to cite the deeply flawed 'Melbourne Response' that short-changed victims as something that should be credited to Pell for being 'forward-leaning'.
Sheridan's comment 'as soon as he (Pell) got any power' is revisionist garbage. I'll tell you why next.
5/
In 2007, Pell was central to the Church's response to the so-called 'Ellis' defence.
Under Pell's instruction, The Church spent $1.5M on this case in order to prevent victims from suing the Church directly.
This is what Pell did with power.
6/
Earlier than that, Pell was using his power to buy the silence of victims. It's not difficult to determine why he was buying silence.
You can judge Pell's demeanour in this interview for yourself.
Sheridan goes on to suggest that many were convinced of 'a stitch up', and supports this by pointing to being interrupted at dinner with Pell, by Pell supporters, 3 times.
This is curious given Pell's name in the trial was suppressed. How did these 3 know?
8/
There are many powerful people and organisations working overtime, determined to re-write history for #Pell's legacy.
Greg Sheridan is one example. Those who've suffered because of the action or inaction of Pell deserve to have this revisionist nonsense challenged.
/end
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John Pesutto's inability to be the reformer the Victorian Liberal Party needs has been confirmed.
Hansard reveals the quiet announcement that Moira Deeming has been appointed Whip and Renee Heath Secretary of the Parliamentary Party.
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Moira Deeming, anti-abortion activist, transphobic, endorsed by the Australian Christian Lobby and Katherine Deves is the candidate the Liberal Party hid and silenced leading into this election. This thread touches on why. 👇 2/
Renee Heath won pre-selection over Catherine Burnett-Wake. In an interview with the ABC, Catherine claimed that the Liberal party was being infiltrated by religious groups seeking to seize power in the Victorian Liberal Party.
Thinking of 9 young girls who just learnt that the man they said sexually abused them would not face another trial meaning 10 remaining charges have been dropped.
A jury was discharged after failing to reach a unanimous verdict on the first 11.
1/
Those girls were under the age of 10 when the alleged abuse took place. They'd be teenagers now.
Those girls, all 9 of them, now live in the shadow of a 3 year binary criminal justice process that has ruled what they said happened, didn't happen. All Nine.
2/
Our criminal justice system is predicated on the idea that it's worse to send an innocent person to jail than it is to set a guilty person free.
Most accept that a justice system that removes an abuser's freedom as a punishment for offending requires a certainty of guilt.
3/
Moira Deeming epitomises religious infiltration in the Victorian Liberals.
There's a lot missing from Moira's profile. Perhaps Liberal HQ can refer to this thread and add it?
Reportedly, Deeming has been banned from speaking to the media, so this thread can fill you in.
1/11
Moira's Liberal Party profile doesn't mention Moira was Secretary for anti-abortion group, 'March for the Babies'.
Listen to 19 seconds of Moira at their anti-abortion rally. Note who Moira thanks.
Deeming will vote to stop women accessing abortion.
2/11
Moira also likes to turn up to Council meetings, posing as a member of the public, to ask questions related to her crusade to stop transgender people from using public toilets.