Compensation payouts to children sexually abused by clergy could be increased to up to $120,000 under a new review of the Catholic Church

By Lucy Mae Beers
Daily Mail
April 25, 2016

http://goo.gl/9akOdT

Compensation payments to people sexually abused as children by clergy could be increased to more than $100,000 under the Catholic Church's much-criticised Melbourne Response scheme. Pictured: Gordon Hill , Phil Nagle, David Ridsdale and Dominic Ridsdale (left to right), survivors of child abuse by Catholic clergy in Australia, speak to the media in Rome

A review to be released in coming days is expected to recommend lifting the current $75,000 cap on compensation payments to victims in the Melbourne archdiocese. Pictured: Tony Waroley, survivor of child abuse by Catholic clergy

The royal commission has found the Catholic Church's national Towards Healing scheme, brought in a few weeks after then Melbourne archbishop Cardinal George Pell's program, has resulted in more generous payments to survivors

Compensation payments to people sexually abused as children by clergy could be increased to more than $100,000 under the Catholic Church's much-criticised Melbourne Response scheme, a victims' advocate says.

A review to be released in coming days is expected to recommend lifting the current $75,000 cap on compensation payments to victims in the Melbourne archdiocese.

Clergy abuse victims advocate Helen Last said the cap could be increased to $100,000-$120,000.

'That would be a big improvement for survivors in terms of the damages and injuries that they've sustained that are lifelong, and as a matter of a statement of contrition and a desire to reform,' the In Good Faith Foundation chief executive told AAP.

Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart brought in retired Federal Court judge Donnell Ryan QC to review compensation payments under the Melbourne Response, with a view to either increasing or removing the $75,000 cap.

The child abuse royal commission has recommended survivors be paid up to $200,000 in compensation under a national redress scheme.

Ms Last said the public expected the church to offer a more accurate amount to recognise the horrific trauma experienced by victims of Melbourne archdiocese priests than offered under the Melbourne Response, set up in 1996.

Mr Ryan has said he would not reopen individual cases but would consider whether there should be provision for appealing or reviewing past payments.

Ms Last said people who have previously received payouts may be able to seek further compensation from the archdiocese.

'Some of those amounts were really low, almost insulting, in relationship to the attacks on these victims and the length of the assaults that went on over a period of time and the nature of the assaults,' she said.

'The money didn't fit with what is known about how much harm is done to a person.'

With the royal commission continuing and a national redress scheme yet to be put in place, Ms Last is concerned the Ryan review's recommendations may be put on the backburner by the Melbourne archdiocese.

'We've actually lost any confidence in it being an agent for change except for the compensation amount, which we are fairly confident will rise,' she said.

The royal commission has found the Catholic Church's national Towards Healing scheme, brought in a few weeks after then Melbourne archbishop Cardinal George Pell's program, has resulted in more generous payments to survivors as it did not cap the financial payment.