Sex abuse victims paid $17 million by Catholic Church, royal commission hears

By Shannon Deery
Herald Sun
August 18, 2014

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/sex-abuse-victims-paid-17-million-by-catholic-church-royal-commission-hears/story-fni0fit3-1227027933319

MELBOURNE’S Catholic Church has paid victims of clerical sexual abuse more than $17 million since introducing an interntal compensation panel, the child abuse royal commission has heard.

Sitting in Melbourne for the first time the commission heard this morning ex-gratia payments made under the church’s Melbourne Response scheme totalled $17,259,472.

Of that almost $10 million was paid as compensation while $7.5 million was paid to cover victims’s medical and counselling costs.

A further $1.6 million was paid to victims outside of the Melbourne Response.

The internal complaints system is being scrutinised in the royal commission’s latest public hearing.

It will examine the effectiveness of the Melbourne Response in two weeks of public hearings.

The compensation model was last year heavily criticised during the Victoria’s parliamentary inquiry into abuse by religious and other organisations.

Introduced in 1996 by then Archbishop George Pell the Melbourne Response was one of the Catholic Church’s first redress schemes for victims of pedophile priests.

Cardinal Pell, who was archbishop of Melbourne in the 1990s, will give evidence via video link from the Vatican on Thursday.

He is expected to tell the commission that at the time the church’s handling of sexual abuse allegations was insufficient.

The commission will also hear victims of pedophile priests felt discouraged from going to the police after meeting with the Melbourne Response commissioner.

Paul Hersbach will give evidence he was told there “would not appear to be much point” going to the police.

Another man was told the commissioner would not be able to investigate his claims while a police investigation was underway.

Senior counsel assiting the commissione Gail Furness said in her opening address the man felt discouraged from going to police.

He later reported the matter to police.

The priest, Father Michael Glennon, died in prison waiting for trial.