The Roman Catholic Church has spent a lot of effort trying to paint the surviving witness as a snotty-nosed choir boy bent on revenge. It may be that the witness got on with his life, rather than turn to drugs, and is now a respected member of the community, eg barrister (or SC), surgeon or even a high-ranking church official. In other words, someone who has a lot to lose by perjury or lying.

Well the witness did make a statement saying that he felt compelled to act after the other choir-boy (the only other corroborating witness) died of an overdose. By his own words he only reported to the police some 18 years after the event because he felt guilty about what had happened with his friend becoming a drug-addicted wreak.

But on the other hand the only other corroborating witness denied that the incident had even happened before his death.