You'd be aware that earlier this year Cardinal Pell was convicted on historical charges alleging he'd molested two boys.  That case is subject to an appeal.

Today further charges against the Cardinal were dropped for want of evidence.

Here is a statement from the surviving witness in the earlier case which Australian media were ordered not to report on - until today.

That case can't be considered as final until the appeal has been heard.

Here is The Australian's report on the dropping of charges today.

It was alleged Pell molested the boys while playing with them and throwing them in visits to Ballarat’s Eureka swimming pool in the late 1970s.

But Victoria’s Director of Public Prosecutions today dropped the charges after a judge, in an earlier hearing, disallowed tendency and coincidence evidence from other complainants.

The removal of the “swimming pool” charges means suppression orders on Cardinal Pell’s recent conviction for abusing two boys at St Patrick’s Cathedral have been lifted.

The allegations of sexual assault by Pell around water were the first to be raised publicly and attracted a number of alleged victims.

One of the alleged victims however died before committal, and charges related to him were dropped.

Charges relating to another complainant were thrown out in the Magistrates Court after the committal hearing.

A charge relating to another alleged victim was withdrawn during pre-trial argument in the County Court and prosecutor Fran Dalziel sought to proceed with two charges of indecent assault relating to two complainants.

Ms Dalziel asked Chief Judge Peter Kidd to allow for tendency or coincidence evidence to link the two complaints with a third man who also made a complaint against Pell but lacked the evidence to substantiate a criminal charge.

Judge Kidd rejected the application for tendency and coincidence evidence at a hearing in February.

EXTRACT ENDS - There's more at The Australian