The Supreme Court of Victoria has rejected the Catholic Church’s attempt to sidestep responsibility in a child sexual abuse case involving a priest.
In a landmark decision handed down on 22 December 2021, Justice Jack Forrest held Paul Bird, the current bishop of Ballarat, responsible for sexual abuse perpetrated by Father Bryan Coffey, an assistant priest at the parish of Port Fairy, St Patrick’s. The victim, referred to as DP, had been sexually abused on two occasions in 1971 during Coffey’s pastoral visits to the then five-year-old’s family home.
The judgment is the first of its kind in Australia to recognise vicarious liability in cases of institutional child abuse, and paves the way for other survivors to bring legal claims.
So good to hear. The church has protected anyone associated with it far too long. Like anyone else, they are responsible for their actions and need to be accountable. Maybe there’s still hope for all those who were victims. There are too many victims and too many suicides.