AUSTRALIA
ABC News
By Jade Macmillan
A lawyer who previously defended the Christian Brothers in a class action brought on by victims of sexual abuse says the case would be handled differently today.
Howard Harrison, from law firm Carroll O’Dea, appeared before the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse on Friday, which was examining four homes run by the Brothers in WA.
The class action, launched in the 1990s, resulted in an out-of-court settlement of $3.5 million from which some victims only received $2,000 each.
The firm which represented more than 200 victims described the legal battle as a tug of war, saying the Brothers fought it at every turn.
Mr Harrison told the commission that in hindsight, a different legal position would have been taken.
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