A former Catholic school pupil who says he was sexually abused by a priest from Merseyside has fresh hope the truth will finally be exposed.

Home Secretary Theresa May revealed a troubled inquiry into child sexual abuse across the UK could be given extra powers, including the ability to force witnesses to give evidence.

The Sunday ECHO told earlier this year of how both a priest at the centre of a scandal at Mirfield junior seminary in Yorkshire and a former student there – one of those who made the allegations – came from Merseyside.

A group of 11 men settled out of court with the Verona Fathers, the Catholic order which ran the college, for payments totalling £120,000.

The order said the payouts are not an admission of liability but were made on a commercial basis following legal advice.

Gerry McLaughlin, who says he was abused by the late Father John Pinkman from Maghull, and a man from Liverpool who claims he was abused by another priest, have this week spoken of their optimism that tougher inquiry powers backed by Theresa May will mean former priests from the college could be made to appear before the Home Affairs Select Committee.

Describing the development as “fantastic”, Mr McLaughlin said: “It means that they will be able to force witnesses to appear.

“We would hope that it would force Comboni Missionaries and others to admit that abuse took place and that they covered it up.

“Once they have done that it may lead to an apology.”

Meanwhile, another of the 11 claimants, who came from Liverpool, told the Sunday ECHO he hopes the support from Theresa May for a statutory inquiry will mean the truth will finally come out.

The man, who asked not to be named, said: “I want the truth to be known and it’s only when the truth comes out things will change.

“At the moment nothing’s coming out. It’s about the possibility of change and having no more cover ups.”

Ten of the claims made by former Mirfield students relate to Pinkman and another priest who has since died while the other concerns a priest who is still alive but lives abroad.

The Provincial Superior of the London Province of the Verona Fathers, Fr Martin Devenish, said: “Every member of the Verona Fathers who is fit and able will be prepared to appear at the inquiry if asked to do so. However, it is regrettable that those from whom we all most need to hear, the alleged abusers, will not be able to appear because they are deceased or, in one case, medically unfit.”

The government announced in June there would be an official inquiry into the way public bodies handled child sex abuse claims.

The Home Secretary said this week she was “very clear” that the investigation “should have the powers of a statutory inquiry”.

Mrs May said more than 100 names had been put forward to the Home Office as a possible chairman, following the resignations of previous appointments Fiona Woolf and Baroness Butler-Sloss.

Appearing before the Home Affairs Select Committee she said: “The overwhelming message I’m getting from those that I have been meeting, survivors and survivors’ representatives that I’ve been meeting, is that it’s important to make sure that we do get this right.

“I’m very clear that the inquiry should have the powers of a statutory inquiry.”

She added: “The message I am very clearly getting is that this is an inquiry that should have the powers to compel people to give evidence.”