‘The greatest miscarriage of justice’: Andrew Bolt responds to George Pell verdict

Outspoken columnist Andrew Bolt has labelled the case against Cardinal George Pell as “the greatest miscarriage of justice in Australian history”.

The Sky News host said the “witch hunt” against Pell had destroyed his career, reputation and locked him in jail for 404 days “for a crime he could not possibly have committed”.

Pell will immediately be released from prison after the High Court ordered his child sexual abuse convictions be quashed “and judgments of acquittal be entered in their place”.

The most senior Catholic in the world to be convicted of child sexual abuse today learned his final appeal bid had been successful. He released a statement saying he felt as though the “serious injustice” he suffered while maintaining his innocence had been “remedied”.

The full bench of seven judges were unanimous in their decision, finding the jury, acting rationally on the whole of the evidence, ought to have entertained a reasonable doubt as to Pell’s guilt.

Bolt, an outspoken supporter of Carindal Pell, was quick to respond to the judgement.

“This was one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in Australian history,” he said.

“A lot of people today should be ashamed of their role in the persecution, the witch hunting and the jailing - for 404 days - of an innocent man.

“The charges were inherently implausible and yet they were believed.

“And voices that spoke against this conviction were hounded down.”

Read the rest here.