Cardinal George Pell Accused of "Helping to Shift Australia's Worst Paedophile Priest" from Town to Town

By John Carney and Lucy Thackray
Daily Mail
May 19, 2015

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3088627/Cardinal-George-Pell-helped-shift-Australias-worst-paedophile-priest-country-continued-assault-children.html

A royal commission has uncovered church documents that reveal Cardinal George Pell helped move Australia’s worst paedophile priest between parishes at the height of his reign of terror.

The former Archbishop of Melbourne, who is now based in The Vatican where he oversees the Catholic Church’s finances, was involved in at least one decision to move pervert priest Gerald Francis Ridsdale, the inquiry heard.

Then Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns knew Ridsdale had abused boys 'so he was taken out of there' and again moved to another parish, the abuse royal commission heard on the opening day of three weeks of hearings in the city devastated by decades of abuse.

A royal commission inquiry revealed that Cardinal George Pell helped move Australia’s worst paedophile priest between parishes

Gerald Ridsdale was jailed on paedophile charges in 1994 for molesting children between 1967 and 1987

Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns heard about boys being sexually abused but took no action for 13 years

Cardinal Pell supported Ridsdale at his first court appearance on child sex offences in 1993, but he has repeatedly denied knowing that any children at all were abused in Ballarat parish when he was working there.

Senior counsel assisting the commission Gail Furness SC said relocating Ridsdale from a Ballarat parish was discussed at a meeting of the bishop's advisers - the College of Consultors - in September 1982, where Cardinal Pell was present.

The meeting minutes say the bishop advised it had become necessary for Ridsdale to move from Mortlake parish, but do not disclose what reasons Bishop Mulkearns gave.

'There will be evidence that Bishop Mulkearns knew it was because Ridsdale had abused boys in Mortlake, and that he had offended in this manner in 1975,' Ms Furness said.

Cardinal Pell was involved in at least one decision to move pervert priest Gerald Francis Ridsdale, the inquiry heard

'Several of the consultors had been present at meetings, or were members of the College of Consultors, on each occasion in the past when Ridsdale was moved.'

Ridsdale was moved from Mortlake to Sydney's Catholic Enquiry Centre, with then Father Pell at a college meeting that allowed him to stay for a further year.

The vile priest abused more than 50 children as he was moved between nine Victorian parishes over three decades, and also abused an altar boy in Sydney.

Ms Furness said it was not until June 1988 that Ridsdale was suspended, 13 years after Bishop Mulkearns first knew he was sexually abusing boys.

The Ballarat hearing heard Ridsdale was a prolific offender in Mortlake, with his replacement believing Ridsdale had molested every boy aged 10 to 16 in the Victorian town's school.

Ridsdale was at nine parishes and other church locations and abused more than 50 children

Ms Furness said his behaviour around boys was no secret in Mortlake, but Bishop Mulkearns later told a Catholic Church Insurances investigator that he did not take it as his position to report him to police.

Convicted Ballarat priest Paul David Ryan has told the inquiry Bishop Mulkearns knew about him in 1977 but did not revoke his faculties until 1993.

'Ryan thought Bishop Mulkearns buried his head in the sand about the sexual abuse issues in the diocese,' Ms Furness said.

Ms Furness said there is evidence that Bishop Mulkearns removed and destroyed a 1960s psychiatrist's letter from Ridsdale's file, which said he could function as a priest in the future with appropriate care.

The former Archbishop of Melbourne, Cardinal pell is now based in The Vatican where he oversees the Catholic Church’s finances

Ridsdale will give evidence via videolink from jail during the three-week Ballarat hearing, while a nephew he abused will be one of 17 victims testifying.

It was not until June 1988 that Ridsdale was suspended for 12 months, 13 years after the Bishop Mulkearns first knew that he was sexually abusing boys he met during his work as a priest.

Ridsdale had been at nine parishes and other church locations during that time and abused more than 50 children, Ms Furness said.

In May 1993 Ridsdale was charged on summons with 30 counts of indecent assault against nine boys between 1974 and 1980. He was found guilty and sentenced to 12 months jail.

Bishop Mulkearns allegedly thought it was not his job to notify police that a priest was abusing boys

After he was found guilty, he was almost immediately put on trial again for the sexual abuse of 20 boys and one girl.

He was found guilty of 46 charges and sentenced to 18 years imprisonment with a minimum of 15 years to be served cumulatively with the previous sentence.

In 2006, Ridsdale pleaded guilty to 35 charges relating to indecent assault against 10 boys. In 2013, he pleaded guilty to 29 new charges after being charged with 84 offences.

Risdale has been behind bars since his arrest in 1990.