Australian Government Awards Compensation to Victims of George Pell’s Abuse

AUAustralia|

Two men who were sexually abused by George Pell in the 1970s have been granted compensation by Australia's national redress scheme. According to reports, one victim received AUD 95,000 (approximately USD 61,000) for being anally raped by Pell in a school gymnasium, while the other was awarded AUD 45,000 (around USD 29,000) for being groped in a swimming pool. The victims were aged eight and nine at the time of the abuse, which occurred in Ballarat when Pell served as a parish priest.

An investigation by journalist Louise Milligan, published in the Monthly and by the ABC, confirmed the accounts were accepted by the scheme, which requires a lower standard of proof than criminal cases. Pell maintained his innocence throughout his life, having been previously convicted of child sexual abuse in 2018. However, those convictions were quashed in 2020, leading to his acquittal.

The national redress scheme was established by the federal government in 2018 to support survivors of institutional child sexual abuse, following recommendations from a royal commission that identified significant failures within the Catholic Church.

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