MALTA
Malta Today
September 22, 2019
By Lawrence Grech
MSSP sex abuse victim Lawrence Grech unable to finance compensation case against Maltese church
A victim seeking compensation for clerical sex abuse has said that he is unable to appeal a decision declaring his complaint as time-barred due to the upfront costs involved.
Lawrence Grech, together with ten others, had filed a case for damages against two priests, their Order, the Archdiocese and the government in 2013. He showed the MaltaToday a recent notice that he had received from court, informing him that in order for his appeal to be heard, he needed to provide a €1,895 deposit for costs to cater for the eventuality that the appeal was decided against him.
Grech, who now runs a one-man cleaning business, said he cannot afford the sum, known in the legal industry as “kawtela”.
Contacted by MaltaToday, his lawyer Patrick Valentino explained that the deposit was required by the courts to ensure that costs for the other party were covered should the appeal be lost.
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