Landmark high court ruling finds Catholic church had duty to protect NSW child from paedophile priest

Finding over abuse in Newcastle-Maitland diocese signals major shift in church's liability to victim survivors

The high court has delivered a landmark win for survivors of clergy abuse, finding the Catholic church had a duty of care to protect a child from one of its paedophile priests.

A man known only as AA sued the Catholic church's Newcastle and Maitland diocese over abuse he suffered at the hands of Father Ron Pickin in 1969, when he was aged just 13.