Church Abused More Than 100 Children

ABC News
April 29, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-29/church-abused-more-than-100-children/4658950?section=vic

[with video]

EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: A Catholic Church order has told the Victorian Parliament inquiry into the abuse of children by organisations that at one stage up to 25 per cent of its members were accused of sexual abuse

The inquiry heard from the St. John of God Brothers, the Salesians and the Diocese of Ballarat.

Both the Bishop of Ballarat and his predecessor admitted that the decision to allow a known abuser to continue to have access to children had tragic consequences

Hamish Fitzsimmons reports.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS, REPORTER: Many victims and their supporters saw today as a potential indication of how the Catholic Church will handle the Royal Commission into sexual abuse.

The St. John of God Brothers told the inquiry that of the 60 members who'd served in Victoria since the 1950s, 15 had been accused of abusing those in their care.

ROSANNA HARRIS, ST. JOHN OF GOD BROTHERS: We accept, sadly, that there were a number of complaints and that children, very vulnerable children in our care were damaged.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: The order was criticised by inquiry members for not investigating cases internally, despite knowing of the abuse allegations for 20 years.

FRANK MCGUIRE, VICTORIAN LABOR MP: You didn't conduct your audit until this inquiry was up and publicly launched?

ROSANNA HARRIS: Yes.

FRANK MCGUIRE: Well, it's not good enough, is it?

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: The order was also asked whether the disabled people in its care were seen as easy prey.

FRANK MCGUIRE: So is it fair, therefore, to say that on the figures themselves, complaints against 15 brothers, when you have no more than 60, that your order was targeted by paedophiles?

ROSANNA HARRIS: I wouldn't say that.

TIM GRAHAM, BROTHER, ST. JOHN OF GOD BROTHERS: No, I wouldn't say we were targeted by paedophiles.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: The Salesian order was next and admitted it's paid $2 million to settle abuse cases. It was accused of a conspiracy at the inquiry because some abusers were in communication with others.

GREG CHAMBERS, FATHER, SALESIAN ORDER: Having looked at the testimony of people, there does seem to be some form of communication between individuals that had never come to my awareness before.

COMMITTEE MEMBER: That's between offenders.

GREG CHAMBERS: Between offenders.

COMMITTEE MEMBER: So that's a conspiracy? That's the definition of a conspiracy.

GREG CHAMBERS: I mean, that's your word. I'm talking about some form of communication.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: The order acknowledges it's made mistakes in dealing with abuse, especially over the time it took to recognise paedophilia in its ranks.

GREG CHAMBERS: In the religious context it was probably seen as a sinful offence. I think only as time progressed did it become a crime against individual, a crime against society, a crime before the nation of Australia.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: The committee heard the bishop in charge of the Ballarat Diocese during the 1970s and '80s, Ronald Mulkearns, was told by police of the sexual predations of Father Gerard Ridsdale in 1975, but did nothing.

The current bishop of Ballarat told the inquiry Bishop Mulkearns was too ill to give evidence following a stroke.

PAUL BIRD, BISHOP, BISHOP OF BALLARAT: So he's retired many years now.

COMMITTEE MEMBER II: But he's still conducting mass?

PAUL BIRD: Yes

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Gerard Ridsdale is in jail for his crimes and is one of Victoria's most notorious paedophiles. The diocese says it's upheld 107 of the 116 abuse claims its received and says 67 of those were committed by Ridsdale.

PAUL BIRD: Tragic consequences. So a terrible mistake on behalf of Bishop Mulkearns. So that in fact, looking back, Gerald Ridsdale should have been taken out of the ministry when there was a first report of offences.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: While all Church orders that appeared at the inquiry today offered their sincerest apologies to victims, it made some people even angrier. At one stage during the Salesian's evidence, a man stormed out of the inquiry, and during the evidence of the Ballarat Diocese, many victims sat shaking their heads as priests explained their reactions to claims of sexual abuse.

STEPHEN WOODS, BALLARAT ABUSE SURVIVOR: It's the supreme lack of urgency which shows that the bishops and the leaders of organisations now just still don't get it, they still don't understand that this entire situation arose because of their inability to change the systemic problems that's in their organisations.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Tomorrow the Catholic Church's insurers will give evidence.

Hamish Fitzsimmons, Lateline.