Father of ex-choirboy who George Pell was accused of abusing will proceed with Victorian lawsuit

The father of a deceased ex-choirboy who George Pell was accused of sexually abusing while he was Archbishop of Melbourne will continue his civil action against the cardinal.

Pell died on Wednesday morning (AEDT) from heart complications arising from hip replacement surgery in Rome. He was 81.

He was the Vatican’s top finance minister, before he left in 2017 to stand trial in Australia for child abuse offences.

In 2018, Pell was convicted of molesting two teenage choirboys in the sacristy at St Patrick’s Cathedral while he was Archbishop of Melbourne in 1996. Pell always maintained his innocence and his convictions were quashed in an unanimous decision in the high court in 2020.

He served 13 months in prison before being released.

In July last year, the father of one of the choirboys filed a civil case against the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and Pell in the Victorian supreme court.

The man is suing for damages for psychological injury, which he claims he suffered after learning of the allegations his son had been sexually abused.

The choirboy, who died in 2014 aged 31 from a drug overdose, never made allegations against Pell.

The case was being defended separately by Pell and the church, which had argued they were not liable to pay compensation to the families of alleged victims of sexual abuse.

In a statement on Wednesday, Shine Lawyers chief legal officer, Lisa Flynn, said the civil claim will continue.

“Shine Lawyers is progressing a civil claim on behalf of the father of a former altar boy who alleged he was sexually abused by George Pell. The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne is also listed as a defendant in this matter,” she said.

“The claim will continue against the church and whatever estate Pell has left behind.A civil trial likely would have provided the opportunity to cross examine Pell, and truly test his defence against these allegations.

“There is still a great deal of evidence for this claim to rely on, and the court will be asked in due course to make its ruling on that evidence.”

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Victorian government minister Steve Dimopoulos said news of Pell’s death would be difficult for both his family and survivors and victims of child sexual abuse.

“Today would be a very difficult day for the cardinal’s family and loved ones but also a very difficult for survivors and victims of child sexual abuse and their families and my thoughts are with them,” he said.

The Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, Peter Comensoli, described Pell as a “very significant and influential church leader” both in Australia and internationally, who was deeply committed to Christian discipleship.

“At this immediate moment, let our prayers go out to the God of Jesus Christ, whom Cardinal Pell wholeheartedly believed in and followed, that he may be welcomed into eternal life,” he said in a statement.

“Our prayers of comfort and condolence are also with his family, especially his only surviving sibling David Pell. May eternal light shine upon him, and may he now rest in peace and rise to glory in the Lord.”