AUSTRALIA
The Australian
DAN BOX From: The Australian May 16, 2013
THE victim of an alleged pedophile priest was paid a financial settlement by the Catholic church after agreeing not to pursue criminal charges, or else repay the money at 10 per cent interest.
Police documents tendered to a NSW Special Commission of Inquiry state “the church compensated one victim (of the priest) . . . on signing a ‘deed of release’ not to take civil or criminal action”.
The police report, written by the detective at the centre of the inquiry, Peter Fox, said “the church compensated one (man) . . . on signing a ‘deed of release’ not to take civil or criminal action”.
A copy of this deed, seen by The Australian but not tendered to the inquiry, shows the agreement was reached between the trustees of the Vincentian Fathers holy order and the man, who cannot be named.
The holy order “agreed without any admission of liability to provide an amount of $43,000 . . . to settle all claims”, the documents state.
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