Australian Cardinal Pell Returns to Rome for First Time Since Sexual Abuse Acquittal, Reports Say

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Cardinal George Pell of the Roman Catholic Church is set to return to Rome for the first time since his conviction for child sex abuse was overturned and he was released from prison in Australia, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Sydney confirmed to Australian broadcaster ABC News on Tuesday.

The purpose and duration of Cardinal Pell's visit to Rome were not confirmed by the broadcaster.

Pell took a leave of absence from the Vatican in 2017 to face charges of sexual abuse dating back to the 1990s. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to six years in prison in Australia, although his conviction was later overturned by the country's High Court this past April.

Three years after he left Rome to face trial and eventual imprisonment, a now exonerated Cardinal George Pell is set to return to the Vatican and associates say he is flying out of Sydney tonight. https://t.co/TWh1KQycs4 @ebatten7 #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/OnolSSVo4g

— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) September 29, 2020

​High Court judges ruled that jurors in the previous case had failed to suitably account for the evidence that cast doubt on the cardinal's guilt.

His return to Rome comes just four days after Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu unexpectedly resigned from his position amid accusations of financial misconduct.