‘I now know my son’s hell’: family of Pell victim express their heartache

The family of one of the boys assaulted by George Pell have told of their heartache over their son’s addiction and 2014 death.

The St Patrick's Cathedral choir, pictured in 1996. Picture: Supplied

The family of one of the two choirboys sexually assaulted by George Pell have told of their heartache over their son’s spiral into heroin addiction and then death in 2014.

The ABC’s Four Corners will tonight broadcast an interview with family detailing how the boy, who denied being abused, had struggled badly in his early teens.

“He went from being this lovely boy, who used to come to the football with me, who used to go and help his grandparents and helped around the house, to this boy wanting to go out all the time,” the ABC reported his father saying.

“His schoolwork, I noticed that it started slipping. His whole attitude changed. His whole being just, he was a different boy.”

A jury found that Pell had sexually assaulted the boy, then aged 13, in the sacristy of St Patrick’s Cathedral in 1996.

The ABC reported that the dead boy’s mother had asked the boy twice whether he had been abused, but he had not confirmed this.

The family said it was only when the second victim, who is still living, reported his abuse in about 2015 that they realised their then dead son had been abused.

The father said of the trial and conviction: “I’m glad that it’s over and it gives me an idea of why my son went through hell, why he did the things he did,” he said.

“And myself, I’m just disgusted. I’m disgusted in the Catholic Church.”

Pell, who remains a cardinal, has denied any wrongdoing and is appealing his convictions for assaulting the choirboys.

One of the five charges Pell was found guilty of involved oral pene­tration of the dead boy’s friend.

Pell has maintained his innocence despite the guilty verdicts.

He was remanded at the Melbourne Assessment Prison last week, where he is expected to remain until he is sentenced on March 13.

There can be lengthy delays in hearings before the Court of Appeal­. The timetable can vary from weeks to months. It is possible it could be up to six months befor­e the appeal is heard, which will be served in prison unless the Court of Appeal grants Pell bail.