Appeal may reopen wounds
Pell’s High Court bid ‘confronting’ for survivors
A HIGH Court appeal from convicted paedophile George Pell will reopen old wounds for Geelong’s abuse victims, an experienced lawyer has warned.
Slater and Gordon public liability lawyer Barrie Woollacott issued the warning this week, also revealing he was continuing to help victims of abuse prepare claims against local institutions.
“I’ve dealt with hundreds of these claims, and quite a large number from down your way, including Saint Augustine’s, Geelong Grammar, Geelong College and other schools down there as well — including currently,” Mr Woollacott told the Geelong Advertiser.
Mr Woollacott warned abuse victims were in for another “confronting” period with George Pell’s bid for a High Court appeal coming just weeks after Victoria’s Court of Appeal upheld his conviction for historical child sex offences.
“I think we all hoped with the Court of Appeal decision it would be the end of it and we could all rest that justice had been done,” Mr Woollacott said.
“With this coming out again now at the 11th hour it is really quite disappointing, to think a whole lot of people who had been relieved with the verdict are going to be back on tenterhooks and anxious about what the High Court’s going to do with it. I think it will be a pretty hard time for a lot of survivors.”
Mr Woollacott’s warning comes a month after the Geelong Advertiser revealed allegations of abuse continue to mount against prestigious Geelong schools. In just three weeks more than 30 alleged victims of historic abuse at Geelong Grammar School, Geelong College and St Joseph’s College came forward through a new Victim Justice support program.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard evidence of abuse by staff at Geelong Grammar, St Joseph’s College and Geelong College.