AUSTRALIA
The Australian
DAN BOX THE AUSTRALIAN MARCH 21, 2014
THE Catholic Church failed in its “moral responsibility” to a victim of child sexual abuse during a court case in which it denied his mistreatment ever took place, despite having evidence to the contrary, the royal commission has heard.
Giving evidence this morning to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Cardinal George Pell’s private secretary, Michael Casey, said this was “a position we shouldn’t have taken”.
Mr Casey said the Archdiocese of Sydney continued to deny in court that the abuse took place, even after receiving evidence from a second victim that he too had been abused by the priest, Aidan Duggan.
The first victim, John Ellis, ultimately lost his case in 2007, in a decision the church’s lawyers described as providing “a significant protection to the Cardinal and trustees” against other similar claims brought by abuse victims.
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