The Catholic Church has made what is believed to be its highest ever payout to a victim of sexual abuse in Western Australia after Rightside’s 52-year-old client gave compelling and moving evidence about his sexual assault by a notorious priest in the 1970s.
Peter* will receive $2.45 million plus legal costs to compensate him for abuse by teacher and priest Bertram Adderley, who groomed and abused him between 1977 and 1980 when he was aged 10 to 12.
The settlement is a vindication for all WA abuse survivors.
“Some institutions, including churches, think they can bully survivors. That’s a pathetic attitude and will never work as long as we’re representing abuse survivors,” Rightside Legal partner Michael Magazanik said.
Read the full article in The Age.