NSW Attorney-General Greg Smith has declined to apologise to the alleged abuse victim of a retired Catholic priest after accusing her of "trying to get $1 million from the church", according to an AAP report in WA Today.

The retired priest, 77, was on Tuesday charged with a raft of child sexual offences dating back to the 1970s. He is a personal friend of Mr Smith.

On Wednesday Father Chris Riley confirmed he was the priest told by Mr Smith last July that the alleged victim, Nikki Wells, was only seeking money from the Catholic Church.

"He was quoting a church official and that's when I asked him if he'd like to hear her story," Father Riley told News Ltd.

The allegations first surfaced at the beginning of April, when an email from a then unnamed Catholic priest to Ms Wells, which passed on details of the conversation, was obtained by ABC's 7.30 Report.

In question time in Parliament Mr Smith was asked if he would apologise to Ms Wells, following Father Riley's confirmation of the conversation.

Mr Smith said it would be inappropriate to comment on the case and added: "I have nothing to add other than to repeat what I've said elsewhere, that I would never be disparaging of alleged victims of sexual assault".

But Mr Smith told Father Chris Riley in an email last year that he was regularly praying for the alleged paedophile priest, the Daily Telegraph reports. Mr Smith's office has released emails in an attempt to prove that he had not dismissed Ms Wells' claims on grounds she wanted money from the Catholic Church, the paper adds.

FULL STORY No Smith apology for alleged abuse victim (WA Today)

Smith prayed for priest (Daily Telegraph)

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