SYDNEY — When more than a dozen sexual abuse victims from Cardinal George Pell’s hometown in Australia, Ballarat, flew to Rome to meet with him last year, they carried crushing stories of pain caused by local priests, and varied demands for Vatican action.

As they spoke, the victims said, Cardinal Pell remained stiff, eyes downcast. Then Andrew Collins, whose family had been close to Cardinal Pell for years, gave him a hug. The cardinal seemed to soften and later delivered an emotional statement promising to help.

“But that never happened,” Mr. Collins said. “I’ve had four survivors that I’ve known personally take their own lives this year.”

“That was part of what we were trying to get through to people in Rome,” he said. “We need help and assistance.”