AUSTRALIA
7 News
ABC
BY ANTONETTE COLLINS
March 18, 2014
Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell was informed about an ex-gratia offer made to child abuse victim John Ellis, despite saying in a statement that he was not aware of it, a public inquiry has heard.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is examining allegations made by Mr Ellis, who was abused by Father Aidan Duggan in Sydney between 1974 and 1979 and failed in his attempt to sue the Catholic Church in 2007.
In a statement presented to the inquiry earlier this month, Cardinal Pell said he was not aware of ex-gratia offers made to Mr Ellis.
But Monsignor Brian Rayner, who represented the Sydney Archdiocese and Archbishop Pell in Towards Healing matters in 2004, has contradicted that statement.
Under cross-examination, Monsignor Rayner maintained the Archbishop was informed.
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