FROM ALLEGATIONS TO SENTENCE: A TIMELINE OF THE GEORGE PELL CASE
1996
* Pell appointed Archbishop of Melbourne by Pope John Paul II
* Pell sexually abuses two 13-year-old choirboys after a Sunday solemn mass at St Patrick's Cathedral, according to a later jury finding.
* A second indecent act is committed by Pell against one of the choirboys in a corridor at the cathedral, the same jury found.
2001-2014
* Pell served as Archbishop of Sydney, 2001-2014.
* He is made a cardinal in 2003.
2016
* The Herald-Sun reports Pell is being investigated by Victoria Police's Sano taskforce for "multiple offences" committed while he was a priest in Ballarat in the 1970s and Archbishop of Melbourne.
* Pell says the allegations are "without foundation and utterly false".
* Under Vatican rules, Pell gives Pope Francis his resignation on his 75th birthday, as is customary. It is not accepted.
* Victoria Police officers travel to Rome to interview Pell over the abuse claims. He voluntarily participates in the interview.
2017
JUNE 2017
* Pell is charged with multiple counts of historical child sexual offences.
* He denies the charges and vows to clear his name.
* Pell takes leave from his Vatican finance chief role to fight the charges.
JULY 2017
* Pell returns to Australia.
* He hires top barrister Robert Richter QC.
* Supporters set up a fund to help Pell fight the charges.
2018
MARCH 2018
* Prosecutors drop one of the charges against Pell.
* A month-long committal hearing begins to determine if Pell will face trial.
* Prosecutors withdraw more charges.
* Mr Richter claims police conducted a "get Pell operation" and accuses Melbourne magistrate Belinda Wallington of bias. She refuses to disqualify herself from the case.
MAY 2018
* Ms Wallington orders Pell stand trial on some charges but throws out others.
* Pell formally pleads "not guilty".
* Two trials are ordered, separating the 1970s and 1990s allegations.
AUGUST 2018
* The 1990s "cathedral trial" begins in the Victorian County Court in Melbourne.
* Pell pleads not guilty again to one charge of sexual penetration of a child under 16 and four of indecent acts with a child, over incidents involving two 13-year-old choirboys at St Patrick's Cathedral in 1996.
SEPTEMBER 2018
* The jury is discharged, unable to reach a verdict following a week of deliberation. Some jurors weep.
NOVEMBER 2018
* A retrial begins. The jury members aren't told of the previous hung jury.
DECEMBER 2018
* Pell is found guilty on all charges by an unanimous jury.
* Mr Richter says Pell will appeal.
* Suppression orders prevent Australian media reporting the verdict but it spreads through international media within hours.
2019
FEBRUARY 2019
* Hearings begin ahead of the second trial. Prosecutors drop another charge.
* An appeal is filed against the cathedral trial conviction.
* A County Court judge deems vital evidence inadmissible.
* Prosecutors withdraw all remaining charges against Pell and drop a second trial over allegations Pell indecently assaulted boys in Ballarat in the 1970s when he was a parish priest.
* Pell is taken into custody on February 27 as the plea hearing begins.
MARCH 2019
* Pell is sentenced by County Court Chief Judge Peter Kidd to a maximum of six years in prison. He must serve at least three years and eight months in jail before being eligible for parole. He will be a registered sex offender for life.
JUNE 2019
* Court of Appeal considers Pell's application to challenge his conviction on June 5 and 6.
AUGUST 2019
* Court of Appeal rejects Pell's appeal in a 2-1 decision, meaning he will remain behind bars.
SEPTEMBER 2019
* Pell lodges a special leave to appeal application with the High Court
NOVEMBER 2019
* Two High Court judges refer Pell's application to the full court to hear appeal arguments.
Australian Associated Press
