Child Sex Abuse Royal Commission: George Pell Publicly Apologises to Victim John Ellis
By Thomas Oriti
Cardinal George Pell has publicly apologised to a victim of child sexual abuse, saying the Catholic Church failed in its moral and pastoral responsibilities. The former Archbishop of Sydney was called back to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Sydney, to answer more questions about his role in the case of former altar boy John Ellis. Mr Ellis sued the Church after he was abused by a priest in the 1970s, but lost the case on a technicality in 2007. Cardinal Pell has previously apologised to the victim in a statement tendered to the royal commission, and on Thursday he conveyed that in the hearing room. "As former Archbishop and speaking personally, I would want to say to Mr Ellis that we failed in many ways, some way inadvertently, in our moral and pastoral responsibilities to him," Mr Pell said in the long-awaited apology. "I want to acknowledge his suffering and the impact of this terrible affair on his life. As the then Archbishop, I have to take ultimate responsibility, and this I do. "At this end of this gruelling appearance for both of us at this royal commission, I want publicity to say sorry to him for the hurt caused him by the mistakes made, admitted by me, and some of our archdiocesan personnel during the course of the Towards Healing process and litigation." Mr Ellis, who sat in the front row of Thursday's hearing, did not react. He later spoke to ABC's PM, saying he was "a bit surprised" at the Cardinal's apology. "It's very meaningful to have all of the actions that were taken over those years put under scrutiny and to get some answers for the reasons why things went the way that they did," Mr Ellis said. "It's better that he's said he's sorry than that he didn't say that, but I just think I need to sit with that." Mr Ellis says he hopes that in future, victims of abuse will not have to resort to legal action to find justice. "I hope that part of the future is that people don't need to bring their cases to court, that they would be able to have a gentle and more compassionate process that still delivers justice to all parties," he said. "But ... people need to have the right to bring actions in court if they can't be sorted out otherwise. "The Church needs to be told very publicly that it's not above the law and it's subject to the same principles that apply to any other corporation." Pell admits Church refused to negotiate with Ellis Earlier in the hearing under questioning from the victim's lawyer, Maria Gerace, Cardinal Pell agreed the Church offered Mr Ellis an inadequate amount of compensation before the case and it refused to negotiate. Mr Ellis had asked for $100,000 after he first came forward with a complaint through the Catholic Church's Towards Healing pastoral and redress scheme in 2002. He was offered $30,000 - a sum Cardinal Pell has previously described as "grotesque". He claims he was under the impression "millions were being sought" from Mr Ellis. The Church defended itself in court, despite Cardinal Pell admitting he personally believed the man. Ms Gerace suggested there is a chance the royal commission could determine that the tactics of the Church's lawyers should not have been undertaken. Yesterday, Cardinal Pell stopped short of conceding the aggressive court action was wrong. "I never, at any stage, contemplated doing anything improper, and I don't believe that our lawyers ever suggested anything that was legally improper," he told the hearing. "I do not believe that the Court of Appeal would have unanimously approved any improper behaviour." The Cardinal said the Church never viewed its finances and reputation as being equal to the victim's interests. "Always we, however imperfectly, recognised the priority of the needs of the victim," he said. Cardinal Pell was also pressed about remarks that Mr Ellis was intelligent. "He was, in every respect, the very typical person that one would expect to walk through the doors of Towards Healing for the very services promised by its protocol, would you agree with that?" Ms Gerace asked. "Basically, yes," Cardinal Pell responded. "But he's also highly intelligent, very well educated, and - all this is to his credit - in a very significant position." Ms Gerace asked why the Cardinal was making the distinction. "I don't think you intend, Cardinal, to suggest that other people who walk through the doors of Towards Healing are not intelligent?" she asked. Cardinal Pell told the hearing he was taken "out of context", and that every victim is "different". The Cardinal has previously given evidence that he was mistaken about Mr Ellis's damaged state, because he was a senior lawyer himself and "presented so well". He also denied suggestions that the financial or other interests of the Catholic Church were seen as equal to the interests of Mr Ellis. "No, I wouldn't agree with that," he said. "We, however imperfectly, always recognised the priority of the needs of the victim." After more than a fortnight, the case study into the Catholic Church has formally come to an end. Cardinal Pell will soon head to the Vatican to manage the Church's finances.
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