AUSTRALIA
The Australian
By John Ferguson
March 10, 2020
Lawyers for sex abuse survivors have quietly weighed further legal action against George Pell and the Catholic Church as the cardinal’s home diocese of Ballarat fights to fund payouts and run its day-to-day operations.
Legal sources have revealed that several people have surfaced to discuss allegations against Pell, 78, with potential civil action also flowing from some of the criminal charges that did not go to trial.
As Pell’s last-gasp High Court deliberations begin on Wednesday, The Australian can reveal that his incarceration has prompted inquiries from several people considering taking legal action against the cardinal.
The diocese of Ballarat or the church’s insurers are most at risk of having to fund any claims relating to his younger days in the church. Diocese of Ballarat business manager Andrew Jirik confirmed that other than Pell, the church still had dozens of outstanding abuse claims it was processing, and the church believed it could fund payments.
“We don’t know when this is going to end,’’ he said.
“We’d have dozens (of abuse claims) still outstanding.’’
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