Victims of child sexual abuse react to Cardinal Pell's death
Victims of childhood sexual abuse have shared their reactions to the news of the death of Cardinal George Pell.
Pell, who was previously convicted for historic sex crimes, died at age 81 in Rome on Wednesday after complications from hip replacement surgery.
Phil Nagle, who was assaulted by a priest at the age of nine, said bluntly, "He's certainly burning in hell right now."
"I'm glad he's passed on," he told A Current Affair.
Nagle went on to say he believed Pell "was a liar and a protector of paedophile clergy".
"(He) had plenty of opportunities during his lifetime to try and redeem himself," he said.
"It's a bit of a shame he's taken the secrets to the grave."
Victims advocate Helen Last said she "felt really numb" when she heard about Pell's death.
"It's a tragedy of great proportions. There's so many survivors in Victoria still who have not been able to come forward about alleged abuse by him, on them," she said.
"I personally believe on the basis of evidence that George Pell has been involved in a network of sexual offending clergy that goes right back."
Sex abuse victim Michael Advocate said his shed weren't of sorrow when he heard about Pell's passing.
"He was a terrible, terrible human being that just damaged so many child sex abuse victims, including me," Advocate said.
"There's so many of my fellow sufferers, you know … he got off so lightly. I hope he really gets justice."
"If there is a God, dear God may he be forthright in his punishment."
Despite an onslaught of similar comments from members of the public who stand with Pell's accusers, famous friends of the Church were quick to share their sadness over the Cardinal's death.
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a Catholic and staunch Pell supporter, described the cardinal as a "saint" and compared the sexual abuse charges that effectively ended his ecclesiastical career to "a modern form of crucifixion".
Reacting to Abbott's statement on Instagram, former 7News Melbourne host Jacqui Felgate summed up the anger felt by Pell's critics with a brutal, three-word response.
"Beyond the pale," she wrote.
Many of Felgate's followers agreed, with former Bachelor star Matthew Johnson saying, "This is absolutely abhorrent and really puts into perspective what type of person [he is]."
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