BALLARAT (AUSTRALIA)
The Courier
June 4, 2018
By Leanne Younes
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The mother of clergy abuse survivor, Paul Levey, may be the first parent and secondary victim to sue the Catholic Church.
Anne Levey, who is haunted daily by knowledge of Paul’s horrific abuse by laicised and jailed priest Gerald Ridsdale, said she will be pursuing a case against the Catholic Church as a secondary victim because of the damage and pain suffered.
Ms Levey and son, Paul, are represented by Sydney-based Dr Martine Marich and Associates.
“We have been patient. They (the lawyers) have assembled all the paperwork and we’ve just been waiting for the legislation change,” Mr Levey said.
The quashing of the Ellis Defence, which closes a technical legal loophole that prevented the Catholic Church from being sued, marks a significant shift for survivors of clergy abuse who, until now, have been unable to sue unincorporated organisations.
Ms Levey is one of many secondary victims of the child sexual abuse epidemic and, as a first, her case against the church may become a ‘test’ case.
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