Forgive them, father
The Sydney Morning Herald
Cardinal George Pell's determination to deny compensation to an abuse victim was uncompromising, writes Erik Jensen.
The cardinal was not budging. Anthony Jones, a religion teacher at a Catholic high school in Sydney's south when he claimed he was the victim of attempted rape by a Catholic priest 26 years ago, would be offered no church compensation. Not a cent.
First, some background. Jones was 29 in January 1982 when he was fondled by a local priest, Terence Goodall, who then attempted to have sex with him. Jones claims he reported the incident to the church within a month and, 20 years later, when nothing had been done, he again wrote a formal complaint to the church.
That sparked an internal church investigation of Goodall. A second complaint against Goodall, received from a victim who cannot be named because he was a minor at the time of the offence, was included in the investigation.
Contrary to his investigator's advice, Pell wrote to Jones on February 14, 2003, advising him that his complaint was unproved, and that no other allegation of sexual assault had been made against Goodall. On the same day, Pell wrote to the second victim upholding his complaint.
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Cardinal George Pell's determination to deny compensation to an abuse victim was uncompromising, writes Erik Jensen.
The cardinal was not budging. Anthony Jones, a religion teacher at a Catholic high school in Sydney's south when he claimed he was the victim of attempted rape by a Catholic priest 26 years ago, would be offered no church compensation. Not a cent.
First, some background. Jones was 29 in January 1982 when he was fondled by a local priest, Terence Goodall, who then attempted to have sex with him. Jones claims he reported the incident to the church within a month and, 20 years later, when nothing had been done, he again wrote a formal complaint to the church.
That sparked an internal church investigation of Goodall. A second complaint against Goodall, received from a victim who cannot be named because he was a minor at the time of the offence, was included in the investigation.
Contrary to his investigator's advice, Pell wrote to Jones on February 14, 2003, advising him that his complaint was unproved, and that no other allegation of sexual assault had been made against Goodall. On the same day, Pell wrote to the second victim upholding his complaint.
full article
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