Father of one of George Pell’s victims, who died of a drug overdose, now plans to sue
The father of one of George Pell’s sex abuse victims, who died of a drug overdose linked to a battle with mental illness, now plans to sue.
The father of one of the boys molested by George Pell has announced he will sue the cardinal or the Catholic Church following the death of his son.
The boy was a 13-year-old chorister when he was molested by Pell at Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral in 1996 following Sunday solemn mass.
The third most powerful man in the Vatican and Australia’s most senior Catholic was found guilty of raping one choirboy and molesting another in Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral 22 years ago.
The boy never told his parents about the abuse, but died in 2014 of a heroin overdose when he was aged 30.
Now, given the guilty verdict — made public on Tuesday following the lifting of court gag orders — the boy’s father says Pell “has blood on his hands”.
Shine Lawyers’ head of specialist personal injury, Lisa Flynn, told AAP she believed the boy had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression following the sex attack.
She said the boy turned to drug use when he was 14 and his father only learnt of Pell’s abuse “some time” after his death.
“We believe his death is directly linked to those conditions that he suffered as a result of the abuse,” Ms Flynn said.
“(He) suffered such extreme depression that he overdosed on drugs to numb his severe PTSD as a result of his pain. His father will allege that Pell has blood on his hands.”
Ms Flynn said the Catholic Church or Pell individually could be pursued in civil action.
“So far we’ve been instructed to investigate a potential claim. It could be either or both of those that would be named as defendants,” she says.
Ms Flynn said the law firm was waiting for Pell’s criminal matters to be finalised before filing a civil claim.
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The second survivor of abuse committed by Pell says he has experienced “shame, loneliness, depression and struggle” in the years since.
In a statement released through his lawyer, Viv Waller, he said it has taken him “years to understand the impact on my life”.
“At some point we realise that we trusted someone we should have feared and we fear those genuine relationships that we should trust,” he wrote. “I would like to thank my family near and far for their support of me, and of each other.
“I am a witness in a case brought by the State of Victoria. I have put my trust in the police and the criminal justice system. The process has been stressful and it is not over yet.”
He asked the media to respect his privacy, noting he needs “space and time” to cope with the ongoing criminal process.
“I am not a spokesperson about child sexual abuse. There are many other survivors and advocates who bravely fill this role.
“I am just a regular guy working to support and protect my family as best I can. Thank you for your support and understanding.”
Survivors of child sex abuse at the hands of the Catholic Church have issued powerful responses to news of Pell’s guilty verdict.
One man, who identified as a child sexual abuse survivor, shouted “You’re a monster” and “Burn in hell” at Pell as he left County Court and walked towards a waiting car.
He then furiously addressed reporters, revealing himself as a survivor of abuse at the hands of the Catholic Church, and describing Pell as a “lunatic, freak, monster, paedophile”.
“George Pell is a freak. He is a monster. He can rot in hell,” the man said. “If he believes what he preaches and he preaches that there’s a heaven and hell, well he is going to burn in hell.
“He has destroyed the Victorian community. The Catholics in Victoria — we demand that he be excommunicated from the church. He has to be jailed. No home detention, none of this pathetic weak justice. We want to see him in jail. We want to see him fry in hell forever.
“He is solely responsible in Victoria for the damage that has been done — that has damaged thousands and thousands of people in Victoria.”
Asked how he feels about the verdict, the survivor said: “It’s a miracle. It is unbelievable. I’m a Catholic. I’m ashamed to be a Catholic. I’m disgraced to be a Catholic today. I've not left the church, but I want to see Pell excommunicated. I want to see Pell in jail.
“I want to see the Catholics actually properly compensate their victims, not use their lawyers to delay everything they do. The Catholics are experts in dragging things out, and experts in lip service. It is time that they put up or shut up. It is time that they did the God damn right thing by victims.
“The Royal Commission said there are 15,000 victims in Victoria. 60,000 victims in Australia right now. I am a victim too — I’m a victim advocate and facilitator — and I can tell you that they treat us with contempt. They are laughing at us. They are trying to get the last laugh.”
The man went on to tell reporters he believes the National Redress Scheme, a key recommendation of the Royal Commission, is an “absolute debacle”.
The scheme was established in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which estimated that 60,000 people experienced institutional child sexual abuse in Australia. Just 51 survivors have received compensation since the scheme opened in July 2018 out of a total of 2728 people to sign up.
“Unless you have been anally penetrated, you cannot get more than $50,000. It is bloody outrageous. The Federal Government should hang their heads in absolute shame. This is one of the greatest injustices I’ve ever seen.”
A Melbourne jury in December found Pell guilty of five charges — one of sexually penetrating a child and four of committing indecent acts with children. That verdict was made public today after months of procedural secrecy, and the abandonment of a second trial over allegations Pell indecently assaulted boys in Ballarat in the 1970s.
Pell has maintained his innocence over all allegations and has lodged an appeal of his verdict. It’s expected there will be calls for Pell to be defrocked.
Top defence barrister Robert Richter QC represented Pell in the trial, and during an earlier trial in which the jury was discharged after failing to reach a verdict.
Mr Richter failed to convince the latest jury that the cathedral’s processes were so seamless that two boys simply could not have “nicked off” unseen. He argued the allegations were a “far-fetched fantasy”, that Pell was always accompanied after mass and that the cumbersome robes would have prevented him revealing his genitals.
“Only a madman would attempt to rape boys in the priest’s sacristy immediately after Sunday solemn mass,” he told the jury.
Pell, who was physically ailing during the trial and on crutches before a double knee replacement over Christmas, remains on bail.
He’s due to return to the County Court for a plea hearing on February 27. Chief Judge Peter Kidd is due to sentence him in March.
— with AAP