Sex abuse victim settles with Catholic Church

7 News
April 14, 2015

https://au.news.yahoo.com/sa/a/27101253/sex-abuse-victim-settles-with-catholic-church/

Decade long legal battle ends.

A ten year legal battle has finally come to an end for one sex abuse victim, who has reached a settlement with the Catholic Church.

Pedophile bus driver Brian Perkins sexually abused disabled students at St Ann’s School in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was eventually jailed for his crimes for six years but died in prison in 2009.

7News understands the church has agreed to pay a six figure sum to compensate one of his victims and, just days ago, agreed to formally settle with a second.

A further five cases brought against the church on behalf of Perkins’ disabled victims are now expected to be resolved by the end of the year.

It is a welcome end to a decade of legal maneuvering and accusations of stalling for Peter Mitchell, the father of one of the victims.

“Enormous relief, obviously,” Mr Mitchell told 7News.

“These matters are terribly difficult because of the handicaps that all these now middle aged men suffer.

Mr Mitchell said there were now positive signs the church was willing to work with vicitms.

“There does appear to be a real willingness on the part of the church now to wind these cases up,” he said.

“I have been critical in the past because I had thought it was taking an unnecessarily long time … the end does appear to be in sight.”