Cardinal George Pell has admitted he was 'excessively optimistic' he would be granted bail after being wrongly convicted of child sex abuse charges. He spent 404 days behind bars before his six-year jail sentence was overturned in a final appeal to the High Court in April 2020. 'Looking back, I was probably excessively optimistic that I'd get bail,' Pell said during a candid interview from his flat in the Italian city. Earlier this week, the cardinal revealed the 'humiliating' strip searches were the worst part of his stint in prison. Pell's 13-month spell in jail was spent in Barwon Prison, near Geelong, and the Melbourne Assessment Prison.

Source: Daily Mail May 22, 2021 14:01 UTC