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The dramatic story of the trial of ‘God’s treasurer’ for child sex abuse, and the conviction that sent ripples around the world.
There was an eerie silence in the packed courtroom as everyone looked towards the foreman of the jury. ‘Guilty’ he pronounced five times.
The third most senior Catholic cleric in the world had been found guilty of sex crimes against children. It seemed unimaginable.
Investigative journalist Lucie Morris-Marr was the first to break the story for the Herald Sun that Cardinal George Pell was being investigated by the police. She attended every day of his secret trial, and she now tells the full story of the fall of a prince of the church. From his modest upbringing, his steady rise to the most senior ranks of the church in Australia, to his appointment by Pope Francis to the position of treasurer in the Vatican, it seemed nothing could stop George Pell. Yet in 2016 Lucie Morris-Marr broke the story that Pell was being investigated by the Victorian police, and Pell returned to Australia to stand trial.
Fallen includes many details from the dramatic court proceedings that have not been reported, as well as the author’s journey investigating the biggest story of her career and the attacks she endured from Pell supporters. This book also charts how Pell’s shocking conviction struck the inner sanctum of the Holy See, plunging the Catholic Church into an unprecedented crisis after decades of clergy abuse cases. It is a gripping story that will fascinate anyone interested in the Catholic Church and its failure to address the canker in its heart.
British-born investigative journalist, broadcaster and writer Lucie Morris-Marr was twice highly commended as Young Journalist of the Year at the British Press Awards while working on domestic and international assignments for the Daily Mail in London. In 2006 she moved to Sydney as Associate Editor of Marie Claire where she focused on long form investigative journalism. She went on to work as a senior writer for the Herald Sun in Melbourne where she became the first reporter in the world to uncover a secret police investigation into Cardinal George Pell regarding child sexual abuse allegations. The author covered the entire subsequent legal case for The New Daily and CNN.
