Former Vatican Cardinal George Pell will remain in prison after an Australian appeals court rejected his appeal against his conviction for sexually assaulting two 13-year-old choirboys in the mid-1990s.

The Victorian court of appeal in Melbourne, Australia, dismissed Pell's appeal on Wednesday, with two judges accepting the prosecution's submission that "the complainant was a very compelling witness, clearly not a liar, was not a fantasist and was a witness of truth." Pell, dressed in a dark suit, showed no emotion and only bowed his head occasionally as Chief Justice Anne Ferguson read the verdict to a packed courtroom.

Following the ruling, Pell, who will be eligible for parole in three years and eight months, maintained his innocence and said he was now considering a second and final appeal.

The Vatican issued a statement noting Pell has the right to appeal but made no mention of its own investigation into the matter, which was launched earlier this year.

The appeal

Pell's lawyers now have 28 days to consider further legal steps. They had raised 13 objections to his convictions, casting doubt on everything from the physical possibility of Pell removing his robes to carry out the act, to the credibility of the main witness.

The case was unusual in that it relied heavily on the closed-door testimony of the sole surviving victim. The three judges unanimously dismissed two so-called "fallback" arguments for Pell, related to alleged procedural errors during his trial.

His lawyers argued they should have been allowed to show an animated reconstruction of people's movements in the cathedral on the days of the assaults. They also took issue with the fact that Pell was not arraigned in the presence of the jury. The process was completed via video link so the large pool of potential jurors was able to watch.

Pell was convicted by a 12-member jury in December, largely on the testimony of the secret accuser who, as an alleged sex abuse victim, can't be identified under Australian law. The second alleged victim died several years ago having never told anyone about the alleged attack.

Victim's react

Following Wednesday's ruling, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison expressed sympathy for the victims and  indicated Pell would be stripped of his Order of Australia honour.

The ruling prompted cheers to ripple into the courtroom from a large crowd gathered outside, and produced emotional statements from victims, their families, and advocacy groups.

The now-adult victim, who can't be named under Australian law, said he was "relieved" by the verdict and that the "stressful" four-year legal fight had taken him "to places that, in my darkest moments, I feared I could not return from."

The man also said the death of his friend, the second choirboy, from a drug overdose, had prompted him to break his decades-long silence.

"After attending the funeral of my childhood friend... I felt a responsibility to come forward," he said in a statement read by his lawyer. "I am not an advocate. You wouldn't know my name. I am not a champion for the cause of sexual abuse survivors."

A lawyer for the father of the second victim said the ruling had taken a "weight off his shoulders."

"I believe in forgiveness, but you can't forgive someone who does things like that, especially to 13-year-old children," he said.

During Pell's trial, the Vatican gradually removed him from top Church bodies. Shortly after his conviction, he was removed from the so-called C9 Council of Cardinals that are effectively the Pope's cabinet and inner circle of advisers. Later, the Vatican dropped him as the church's finance chief and launched its own probe in February.

(With input from AFP)