A Catholic priest who gave evidence to the child abuse
royal commission in defence of Cardinal George Pell was himself the
subject of a historical sexual abuse claim, the ABC can reveal.
In 2012, the victim, John Roach, received an apology and $75,000
compensation after the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne accepted he had
been sexually abused by Father John Walshe, a parish priest based at
Mentone in Melbourne's south east.