Cardinal George Pell and Senior Members of Catholic Church Had "Sociopathic Lack of Empathy" Towards Foster Family, Parliamentary Inquiry Told

Daily Telegraph
November 23, 2012

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/cardinal-george-pell-and-senior-members-of-catholic-church-had-sociopathic-lack-of-empathy-towards-foster-family-inquiry-told/story-fndo2dsc-1226522759400

Anthony Foster said a meeting with Cardinal George Pell, pictured, many years ago had been intimidating and close-minded. Source: AFP

CARDINAL George Pell and other leaders of the Catholic Church had "a sociopathic lack of empathy" towards a family whose lives were ripped apart after a priest abused their daughters, a parliamentary inquiry into child abuse has been told.

It comes as victims speak about seizures, substance abuse and relationship difficulties stemming from childhood abuse in the church.

Anthony and Chrissie Foster, whose daughters Katie and Emma were abused after enrolling in a Catholic primary school in Oakleigh in the late 1980s, told the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into church handling of child sex abuse how their family had been torn apart by the "hell" of dealing with the trauma.

Mr Foster said the late Father Kevin O'Donnell had been reported on three prior occasions but was not brought to justice.

He said the church had turned its back on the family after drug and alcohol abuse claimed his daughters, leading to one being involved in an accident that left her disabled and the other taking her own life.

Mr Foster said a meeting with Cardinal Pell many years ago had been intimidating and closed-minded, and the church had offered money as settlement, but at times denied the abuse had occurred.

"If (the abuser) had been reported, Emma and Katie and scores of other victims would not have been assaulted and Emma would still be alive today," Mr Foster said.

"In our interactions with the now Cardinal Pell, we experienced a sociopathic lack of empathy typifying the attitude and responses of the church hierarchy."

Mr Foster said Cardinal Pell told him to "prove in court" what had happened to his daughters.

The victims' sister, Aimee Foster, said she had seen drug overdoses and self-harm in her family from a young age and often dreamt about her sister still being alive.

"I cannot describe the weight of the pain I felt."

Mairead Ashcroft, an alleged victim of Brother Bernard Hartman, who is believed to be on the run in the US, said she had suffered up to 10 seizures a day related to severe post-traumatic stress after abuse as a 10-year-old.

The inquiry continues.

Contact: mitchell.toy@news.com.au