Sydney 1974 to 2007: The archdiocese offered abuse victim John Ellis 30,000 dollars and denied the abuse in court in order to deter other victims from suing

John Ellis was sexually abused as an altar boy from the age of 13 to 17, from about 1974 to 1979, by Father Aidan Duggan in Sydney. In 2002 he turned to the Church's Towards Healing process. Shortly before Christmas Cardinal Pell wrote to him that he did not see anything the archdiocese could do. A Church-appointed assessor found the abuse more likely than not; the archdiocese offered 25,000, then 30,000 dollars. When Ellis sued, the archdiocese, according to the Royal Commission, defended vigorously, partly to deter other prospective plaintiffs, and disputed the abuse although its representative had accepted it; Ellis was cross-examined about it. Ellis lost in 2007 and was to pay the costs, up to 550,000 dollars.

Period

1974-2007 (33 years)

Country

Australia

Institutions

Archdiocese of Sydney
Cardinal George Pell
Towards Healing

Category

Sexual abuse, Cover-up

Level of evidence

A Primary source · what does this mean?

Persons

John Ellis (abused as an altar boy, sued the Archdiocese of Sydney)
Aidan Duggan (priest, according to the Church assessor probably abused John Ellis)
George Pell (Archbishop of Sydney, decided on the vigorous defence)

Background

Who received the assets, who profited?

1. In May 2004 the archdiocese offered 25,000 dollars as a "gesture"; at the facilitation it became 30,000 dollars because Ellis had meanwhile lost his job. Ellis had asked for 100,000 dollars. Before the commission Pell called the offer "mean" and the logic of offering a man who had lost a 300,000-dollar job 5,000 dollars extra "grotesque".
   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 7

   „On 20 May 2004, Mr Brazil informed Mr Ellis that he had been authorised to make a gesture of $25,000 on behalf of the Archdiocese.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 7

   „Mr Ellis was told that the figure of $25,000 was increased by $5,000 because his employment had been terminated.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 8

   „I regard as grotesque“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 7

   „the initial offer of $25,000 was ‘mean,’“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 7

   „Mr Ellis asked for $100,000“

Response of the Church

1. On 23 December 2002 Archbishop Pell wrote to Ellis that, as Duggan could not respond and there were no other complaints, in the circumstances he did not see anything the archdiocese could do; Ellis received the letter on Christmas Eve. According to the commission the letter was contrary to the procedure, because an assessor should have been appointed. The commission finds that the archdiocese fundamentally failed Ellis in the Towards Healing process. He received no apology because, according to an adviser, it was not the archdiocese's normal practice to give one.
   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 5

   „‘circumstances I do not see that there is anything the Archdiocese can do’“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 5

   „Mr Ellis received this letter on Christmas Eve, 2002.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 10, Feststellung 13

   „The Archdiocese of Sydney fundamentally failed Mr Ellis in its conduct of the Towards Healing process“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 8

   „After the facilitation Mr Salmon advised Monsignor Rayner that it was not the normal practice of the Archdiocese to give an apology“

See also

• 1954-1997 · 43 years

  Melbourne 1954 to 1997: Royal Commission found a "culture of secrecy" under Archbishop Little; offenders' resignations were disguised as ill health and minutes concealed the abuse

  • Australia
  • Sexual abuse
  • Cover-up
• 1967-2001 · 34 years

  Brisbane 1967 to 2001: Abuse victim Joan Isaacs received 30,000 dollars after two years of negotiation and had to commit herself to silence

  • Australia
  • Sexual abuse
  • Cover-up
• 1996-2014 · 18 years

  Melbourne from 1996: The Church's "Melbourne Response" compensation scheme capped payments to abuse victims at 50,000 dollars; victims were discouraged from going to the police

  • Australia
  • Sexual abuse
  • Cover-up

Original documents to read

1. Government report
   Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien: Report of Case Study No. 8: Mr John Ellis, Towards Healing and civil litigation. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 30 Oct 2026)

Last changed on 30 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.