A pedophile Christian Brother was hugged by a superior after a child sex abuse complaint was made against him, an inquiry has heard.
Convicted pedophile Stephen Farrell has told the child abuse royal commission he was given a cuddle by Brother Paul Nangle after the 1970s St Patrick's Christian Brothers' superior received an abuse complaint involving Farrell and a year five student.
"He just put his arms around me and gave me a long cuddle. No words were said," Mr Farrell told the commission during a private hearing, the inquiry heard on Monday.
"He then just walked out. And this was Brother Nangle's way of coping with this, you know, of helping me."
The hearing in Ballarat is focusing on the Catholic order's handling of child sex abuse allegations involving six Christian Brothers, all of whom spent time working at schools in the Diocese of Ballarat.
Four have been convicted of child sex offences while another died in 1986.
Counsel assisting the child abuse royal commission Gail Furness SC said 281 members of the Catholic order have been the subject of child abuse complaints from 853 people in Australia.
The Christian Brothers have paid $37.3 million in compensation, Mr Furness said.
