Accusers ready to sue Pell

George Pell will face civil court action over child sex abuse regardless of today’s outcome.

Catholic victims of abuse are awaiting the outcome of Cardinal George Pell’s appeal to determine what steps they might take. Picture: AP

George Pell will face multiple civil court actions over child sex abuse regardless of the outcome of today’s appeal judgment on his criminal convictions.

The father of the late choirboy sexually abused by Pell in 1996 has vowed to pursue the church and Pell, 78, whatever the result of the Court of Appeal finding.

The father is one of several people pursuing Pell, the church and other senior church figures for compensation flowing from either abuse or failing to stop abuse.

The choirboy died in 2014 of a drug overdose aged about 30, a death his father claims was linked to post-traumatic stress disorder caused when Pell sexually abused the boy as a 13-year-old in Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral.

Even though the man’s son was dead, his case was at the centre of Pell’s sex offending convictions in the County Court.

Pell was convicted on the evidence of a surviving choirboy, who gave evidence at the first criminal trial in the County Court that resulted in a hung jury.

His videotaped evidence was played to the second jury, which found Pell guilty.

The Court of Appeal will today rule on whether the Pell convictions should be cast aside, principally because the defence argues the jury got it wrong when it convicted the cardinal, who has been in prison for nearly six months.

The civil action by the father of the dead choirboy comes as several others have flagged civil ­action against Pell, including a man abused by the paedophile Christian Brother Ted Dowlan, who is claiming that Pell knew about the offending but didn’t stop it.

Another man who alleged he was sexually abused by Pell in the 1970s while in care has filed a lawsuit against him and others in Victoria’s Supreme Court.

Pell is believed to have been severely financially strained by the lengthy court action he has faced and he is unlikely to have a significant amount of money left in his own name. He was convicted of abusing the two teenage choirboys in a sacristy in St Patrick’s Cathedral in 1996 and 1997.

The 1996 convictions related to both choirboys being abused. The 1997 conviction related to only the surviving choirboy, whose evidence was central to the Pell convictions.

The Australian revealed in 2017 that Pell would be charged with multiple historical child sex offences and he travelled from Rome to appear in court. He was charged with a total of 26 offences from nine complainants, with all but one of the complainants unsuccessful in pursuing Pell.

Many charges did not proceed past the committal hearing. Other charges were withdrawn when the prosecution decided not to proceed.

Lisa Flynn, the lawyer for the father of the dead choirboy, said her client was anxious about today’s result but would push ahead with a civil claim, regardless of the outcome.

“Our client is anxious about the decision,” she said. “The whole process has been really tough on him and his health. He just wants closure. Regardless of the appeal outcome, our client will continue to pursue a civil claim. We will continue to fight for compensation for him no matter what the result.”

Pell is serving at least three years and eight months’ jail after a jury convicted him in December of sexually abusing the choirboys.

He lodged an appeal after his sentencing, claiming it was not possible for the jury to reach a guilty verdict on the evidence before it. The Court of Appeal will live-stream the reading of the judgment at 9.30am today.

Join us for The Australian’s live coverage of George Pell’s appeal decision today from 8.30am.

Additional reporting: AAP