'Terrible Mistake' over Vic Abuse Priest

Sky News
April 29, 2013

http://www.skynews.com.au/national/article.aspx?id=867771





A Catholic bishop made a tragic mistake in letting now convicted pedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale remain in the ministry, the current bishop for Ballarat says.

The Catholic Church knew about child abuse complaints against Father Ridsdale as early as 1975 but let him remain as a priest and moved him to other parishes, a Victorian parliamentary inquiry has heard.

Police told former Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns of complaints against Ridsdale in 1975, but he was moved to other parishes, the inquiry was told.

Ridsdale should have been removed when a child abuse complaint was first made, current Ballarat bishop Paul Bird said.

The church has confirmed 67 abuse complaints against the now convicted pedophile.

From my reading of the accounts it wasn't wilful blindness. It was a tragic mistake on his part, Bishop Bird told the child abuse inquiry on Monday.

He explained it to me ... It was, he believed, the accepted opinion at the time that dismissal was not the first option, but that a person might be referred for treatment in the hope that they can correct their behaviour.

It proved to be a terrible mistake and I accept that fully.

Tragic consequences. A terrible mistake on behalf of Bishop Mulkearns.

Gerald Ridsdale should have been taken out of the ministry when there was a first report of offences.

Bishop Bird said Bishop Mulkearns decided against appearing before the parliamentary committee because he had recently suffered a stroke and had a poor long-term memory.

Ridsdale is eligible for release later this year, at age 79, after four years were added to his minimum jail term in 2006 for the indecent assault of boys between 1970 and 1987.

He was already serving an 18-year jail term for similar offences when the Victorian County Court judge sentenced him to a maximum 13 years' jail.

The court heard Ridsdale preyed on boys as young as six years old, including altar boys and students, in Ballarat, Bacchus Marsh, Horsham, Edenhope, Mortlake and Warrnambool.

The court heard Ridsdale committed the offences following a wedding, a funeral, mass, during confession, on fishing trips and at his victims' homes.

Another former Ballarat bishop, Peter Connors, said the church had effectively facilitated sexual offences against children by putting a known offending priest in positions that enabled him to continue his abuse.