Priest claims no idea of Gerald Ridsdale child sex abuse

By Tessa Akerman
Australian
May 26, 2015

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/priest-claims-no-idea-of-gerald-ridsdale-child-sex-abuse/story-fngburq5-1227369986967

Gerald Risdale is led into Melbourne County Court to face charges of sexual abuse in 1994.

The priest who accompanied pedophile Gerald Ridsdale to his sentencing hearing for child abuse says he didn’t know he had been charged with sex offences and “just took it that he needed help”, the Royal Commission has heard.

Father Adrian McInerney, the parish priest at St Alipius Parish in Ballarat East is giving evidence at the Ballarat hearing of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

He told the commission this morning that in 1993 he accompanied Ridsdale to court after being asked to assist on a “minor matter”, and it was only once he was in court he found out that the priest had been convicted on sex offences.

“I know how it looks but I’m saying I did not know,” he said.

“Up until that time I have to confess that in certain areas I had some admiration for him because of his ability.

“Well, he had abilities in adult education, and I even this does sound preposterous, but I even had admiration for what he did for youth.”

He said he visited Ridsdale on occasion and saw he had a billiard table and TV that Ridsdale said was for the young people of the parish.

“I thought what a good idea, why don’t I do something like that?”

Father McInerney said he was horrified to realise they were a trap to lure young people so Ridsdale could molest them.

“When I looked at the charges at the trial I looked back and, well, I was horrified that that’s what they were there for,” he said.

Counsel Assisting Gail Furness SC asked if Father McInerney didn’t ask what the matter was because his view was that anything a priest did in those days should be protected and the reputation of the church should be protected.

Father McInerney denied it was about protection and said he took Ridsdale at his word that it was a small matter.

He said he gave a character reference for Ridsdale as asked despite being aghast and shocked.

“When I stated what I thought was a virtue in him, as I reflected it became clear that it was in fact part of his modus operandi.

“What I said was that in my experience when he went to a parish, he sought out families that were in need.”