Church Failed in ‘moral Duty’ over Abuse

By Dan Box
The Australian
March 21, 2014

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/church-failed-in-moral-duty-over-abuse/story-fngburq5-1226861232369

Dr Michael Casey, private secretary to George Pell. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

THE Catholic Church failed in its “moral responsibility” to a victim of child sexual abuse during a court case in which it denied his mistreatment ever took place, despite having evidence to the contrary, the royal commission has heard.

Giving evidence this morning to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Cardinal George Pell’s private secretary, Michael Casey, said this was “a position we shouldn’t have taken”.

Mr Casey said the Archdiocese of Sydney continued to deny in court that the abuse took place, even after receiving evidence from a second victim that he too had been abused by the priest, Aidan Duggan.

The first victim, John Ellis, ultimately lost his case in 2007, in a decision the church’s lawyers described as providing “a significant protection to the Cardinal and trustees” against other similar claims brought by abuse victims.

Mr Casey said the church had failed its “moral responsibility” and “could have brought much more compassion” during the handling of Mr Ellis’ case.

The decision to instruct the lawyers to continue denying the fact of Mr Ellis’ abuse, even after receiving separate corroborative evidence, was not necessarily one that would have been made by Cardinal Pell, he said.

“These ordinary steps (in the legal process) would not have been taken back to the Cardinal in every instance,” he told the commission