Two Men Receive Compensation for Abuse by Cardinal George Pell in 1970s

The National Redress Scheme ruled the abuse claims against the late Cardinal Pell as 'reasonably likely,' awarding payments to the victims decades after the incidents occurred.

• The National Redress Scheme awarded $45,000 and $95,000 to two men for abuse by Cardinal George Pell during the 1970s in Ballarat, Australia.
• One victim described being groped by Pell at a public swimming pool, while the other recounted being raped in a school gymnasium after stealing Pell's cardigan.
• The scheme's findings are based on a lower burden of proof than criminal trials, determining the abuse was 'reasonably likely' to have occurred.
• The Catholic Diocese of Ballarat disputed the victims' accounts but is liable for the compensation payments under the scheme's guidelines.
• The National Redress Scheme was established in 2018 following recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

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The Guardian The Sydney Morning Herald Australian Broadcasting Corporation