George Pell's lawyer argues abuse of children was 'plain vanilla sex' in plea for lenient sentence

Robert Richter QC claims client's crimes were at low-end of scale

A lawyer representing convicted paedophile Cardinal George Pell has suggested the senior cleric’s abuse of two choirboys was merely a “plain vanilla sexual penetration case” in an appeal for a more lenient sentence.

Pell, a former Vatican treasurer, was found guilty in December of five charges related to the abuse of the 13-year-old boys while he was Archbishop of Melbourne in the 1990s.

The details of the case emerged this week after a court order banning reporting of the trial was lifted.

Each of the five offences for which the 77-year-old was found guilty carries a maximum 10 years imprisonment, and the judge outlined they were serious charges.

But Robert Richter, one of Pell’s lawyer, told the court his client’s crimes were “on the low end of offending”, describing them as “no more than a plain vanilla sexual penetration case where a child is not volunteering or actively participating”.

That argument was quickly dismissed by the judge, Peter Kidd.

“At the moment, I see this as callous, brazen offending. Blatant,” the judge said.

Lawyers representing Pell, a former top adviser to Pope Francis, presented 10 character references, including one from former prime minister John Howard, in an attempt to convince the judge the maximum sentence was not appropriate.

His legal team have appealed his conviction and Pell has maintained his innocence.

During the trial one victim described how Pell had exposed himself to them, fondled their genitals and masturbated and forced one boy to perform a sex act on him.

“I see this as a serious example of this kind of offending,” Judge Kidd told Melbourne’s county court.

“There was an element of brutality to this assault.”

Robert Richter, lawyer for George Pell, leaves court in Melbourne on Wednesday (Getty)

Pell was back in court on Wednesday for his sentence plea hearing, where his bail was revoked and he was taken into custody ahead of his final sentence being determined on 13 March.

The Vatican has opened its own investigation into accusations against Pell following his conviction, which was made public just two days after the end of a major meeting of Church leaders on how to better tackle the abuse of children by clergy.

Additional reporting by agencies