‘I know how it looks… but I did not know’ ...

By John Carney
Daily Mail
May 26, 2015

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3090516/I-know-looks-did-not-know-Priest-agreed-character-witness-Australias-worst-paedophile-priest-says-no-idea-vile-crimes.html

Father Adrian McInerney was giving evidence at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Ballarat

Father McInerney even accompanied paedophile Gerald Ridsdale to court and gave a character reference for him

Fr McInerney denied he had acted in an advisory role to then Bishop for Ballarat Ronald Mulkearns who had Ridsdale moved around Victoria when he committed offences

Ridsdale was convicted of abusing 50 children over three decades

As well as Fr McInerney, Cardinal George Pell also supported Ridsdale at court

'I know how it looks… but I did not know’: Priest who agreed to be a character witness for ‘Australia’s worst paedophile priest’ now says he had no idea about his vile crimes

'If someone could explain that to me now, I'd be a happier man.'

This was the weary response of the parish priest of St Alipius in Ballarat after he looked back on why he made the decision to be a character witness for predatory paedophile Gerald Ridsdale and accompany him to court in 1993.

Father Adrian McInerney was giving evidence at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Ballarat on Tuesday.
Father Adrian McInerney was giving evidence at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Ballarat

ABC News reports that Father Adrian McInerney told the commission he agreed to accompany Ridsdale to court when he had to face child abuse charges, because Ridsdale told him the court appearance was only 'a minor matter' and that there was nothing to worry about.

'I know how it looks... but I did not know,' Father McInerney said.

'But when you realised the horrendous crimes he'd been charged with, why didn't you just turn around and walk away?" senior counsel assisting the commission, Gail Furness SC, asked.
'I don't know,' Father McInerney replied.

'If someone could explain that to me now, I'd be a happier man.'

Father Adrian McInerney may not be the only one who will look back day with regret as Cardinal George Pell was also supporting Ridsdale at court on that occasion.

He said he was 'horrified' when he became aware that Ridsdale's seemingly good-natured actions for children 'were a trap for young people to come over so he could molest them'.  

Father Adrian McInerney also confirmed to the inquiry that he could not remember advising former Bishop for Ballarat Ronald Mulkearns, the man accused of moving Ridsdale around western Victoria, on the issue of what to do the vile paedophile.

However, later he did clarify that he was on the consultative committee responsible for placing priests around the Victoria area when a list of names, including his own, were read out in court in reference to this.

However, confirmed he was secretary and only responsible for taking the minutes of meetings that took place at that time.

"No, no, that was strictly not my role," Father McInerney said.