Friend’s funeral fuelled pursuit of justice

George Pell’s downfall began with a funeral. A former choirboy had lost his life. A childhood friend who shared his secret was himself struggling.

George Pell loses his appeal in the Supreme Court of Melbourne, and is led away in a prison van. Picture: Alex Coppel

George Pell’s downfall began with a funeral.

A former choirboy, who had been in a dark place, had lost his life.

A childhood friend who shared his secret was himself struggling to leave that same dark place.

After the funeral, he suddenly found a sense of purpose and responsibility.

“I gave a statement to police because I was thinking of him and his family,” the man — who was one of two victims of Pell’s sexual abuse at St Patrick’s Cathedral — said yesterday.

“I felt I should say what I saw and what happened to me. I had experienced something terrible as a child, something that marked my life.

“I wanted at least some good to come of it.”

What came of it is the highest ranking Catholic to ever be convicted for sexual abuse — a verdict that was yesterday upheld by Victoria’s highest court.

It resulted in relief and celebration by others who had levelled separate allegations of sexual abuse against Pell, which were dismissed by the courts.

The father of the deceased former choirboy, who has launched a civil claim over his son’s abuse, shed tears of relief inside the crowded courtroom.

“I’m sad my son’s not here to see it,” the father said. “I’m really happy for the other victim, I’m really happy for him.

“[For] myself, that was a great load lifted off my shoulders. Almost like somebody was massaging my shoulders and the knot came out.

“It’s not going to bring him back but to get a verdict like that is absolutely amazing.”

His son’s friend and fellow victim was not in court to see the decision.

That victim has watched on as Pell’s supporters — some of whom still refuse to accept that he is guilty — questioned his motivations and condemned his allegations as false.

Yesterday — four years since he reported the abuse to police — he expressed one desire: “I just hope that it is all over now.”

“The criminal process has been stressful,” he said in a statement released by his lawyer, Vivian Waller. “The journey has taken me to places that, in my darkest moments, I feared I could not return from. The justice machine rolls on with all of its processes and punditry, almost forgetting about the people at the heart of the matter.

“Despite this, I appreciate that the criminal process afforded Pell every opportunity to challenge the charges and to be heard. I am glad he had the best legal representation money can buy. There are a lot of checks and balances in the criminal justice system and the appeal process is one of them.”

The man said he now has a young family, and the abuse that occurred more than two decades ago had “battered” his faith, but not destroyed it.

“Some commentators have suggested that I reported to the police somehow for my own person gain,” he said. “Nothing could be further from the truth. I have risked my privacy, my health, my wellbeing, my family.

“I have not instructed any solicitor in relation to a claim for compensation. This is not about money and never has been.”

He also paid tribute to his friend, and the others whose allegations against Pell have been dismissed.

“I would like to acknowledge my friend who passed away, the other choirboy, and pay my deep respect to him and to his family,” he said. “I would like to acknowledge the courage of those people who reported to the police. For one reason or another, your cases were not advanced. My heart goes out to all of you.”