Father of choirboy who claimed son was abused by Cardinal George Pell settles case against Catholic Church
The father of a dead choirboy who claimed his son was abused by George Pell has settled his landmark legal case against the Catholic Church a day before lawyers were he was due to give evidence.
Victoria
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The father of a dead choirboy who claimed his son was sexually assaulted by Cardinal George Pell has sensationally dropped his landmark legal case against the Catholic Church.
The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal the man – known only as RWQ – has setlled a claim against the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne after a protracted three-year fight.
It is understood the man is battling cancer and ended the claim a day before lawyers were due to record his evidence in a rare hospital bedside sitting.
The terms of the settlement are unclear but it is understood the church admitted no fault or wrongdoing but will pay the man some of his legal costs but not damages.
The man launched legal action after Pell, who died in 2023, was freed from prison following a successful High Court appeal that saw a string of convictions for child sexual assault quashed.
The choirboy’s father was seeking damages for mental harm suffered as a result of being informed by police of the alleged abuse of his late son.
Pell was convicted of abusing the choirboy, who cannot be identified, who died of a drug overdose in 2014 and never disclosed any allegations of abuse to his parents or authorities.
But another choirboy, known only as Witness J, testified that both boys were both abused in the sacristy of St Patrick’s Cathedral after Sunday mass in 1996.
After failing to appeal a string of convictions in Victoria’s Court of Appeal, Pell was ultimately acquitted by a unanimous 7-0 decision of the High Court.
Despite ending his claim, RWQ’s case will leave lasting ramifications for other psychological injury claims in Victoria because of the Church’s efforts to knock it out of court.
It led to a hugely significant High Court decision that ruled “secondary” victims were free to pursue damages in such claims.
The Church unsuccessfully argued that parents, siblings, friends and families of abuse victims should be ineligible to launch claims.
Legal experts warned the court decision would lead to a flood of claims by secondary seeking damages against a range of organisations for psychological injury.
They could include the state government, WorkSafe, the TAC, schools, clubs, kinders, religious organisations and social and cultural groups.
Before his shock death following complications from hip replacement surgery in January 2023, Cardinal Pell was preparing to give evidence in RWQ’s case.
The trial was expected to rehash all of the evidence heard at Pell’s two criminal trials and appeals before the Supreme Court and High Court.
Cardinal Pell spent 405 days in prison after being convicted on four counts of indecent assault and one of sexual penetration of a child over the alleged abuse of the two choirboys.
He was released after the High Court quashed his convictions, finding the jury who found him guilty was wrong to do so, having not considered the entirety of the evidence at trial.
From the time he was originally charged in 2017 Pell vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Originally published as Father of choirboy who claimed son was abused by Cardinal George Pell settles case against Catholic Church
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