Child abuse inquiry: paedophile Gerald Ridsdale never told anyone he was a serial child abuser

By Samantha Donovan
ABC - World Today
May 27, 2015

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2015/s4243285.htm

ELEANOR HALL: To the royal commission into child sexual abuse in Ballarat.

One of Australia's worst paedophiles, Gerald Ridsdale, is giving evidence there today.

Ridsdale has several convictions for sexually assaulting more than 50 children and won't be released from jail for another seven years when he's 88.

He's giving evidence via video link from prison.

The now defrocked priest has told the hearing that he never told anyone about his offending for fear of being defrocked.

He's also explained that he was molested by three people when he was a boy and struggled with sexual issues while training to be a priest.

Samantha Donovan is following the commission hearings and joins us now.

First Sam, this is a dramatic moment for this inquiry, tell us about this convicted sex offender's demeanour today.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Well, it is dramatic Eleanor, and particularly so for Ridsdale's victims.

It's unclear how many of them are in the room to hear the evidence from their abuser.

We've heard this week from a psychiatrist that flashbacks can be very traumatic for survivors so I imagine a lot of people won't be watching online or in the courtroom.

Survivors of abuse by other priests though are in the room and taking it all in with a great deal of interest.

What they'll be seeing is an 81-year-old man in a green prison tracksuit who's struggling to remember a lot of details of his early life.

He said he can remember very little about his early offenses going back to sixties, he can't remember the victim's names for example, and his memory's being helped, being referred to an interview he gave back in 1993 and he's often being asked to read from that.

ELEANOR HALL: So what has he then told the commission about his early life?

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Well, he's described how his parents were thrilled that he decided to become a priest, he was from a very Catholic family.

He's given evidence that he was molested as a child by two relatives and by a Christian brother.

He's been asked a lot about life in the seminary, he said they were given no instructions on how to deal with the vow of celibacy.

He was told for example he must give up masturbating, which he said wasn't able to do.

The royal commission chairman Peter McClellan asked Ridsdale about his attitude to confession.

PETER MCCLELLAN: Did you have a confessor in the seminary?

GERALD RIDSDALE: Yes, I forgot wether he had chose a confessor or whether we were allotted.

PETER MCCLELLAN: You had a regular confessor?

GERALD RIDSDALE: Yes.

PETER MCCLELLAN: How often did you go to confession?

GERALD RIDSDALE: I don't remember, your honour.

It could have been once a month, it could have been every two weeks, I'm just not sure.

PETER MCCLELLAN: What did you understand you were supposed to confess?

GERALD RIDSDALE: All sins.

PETER MCCLELLAN: What did you see to be sins?

GERALD RIDSDALE: All of those that were against the commandments of God and the commandments of the church.

PETER MCCLELLAN: Now, when you left the seminary did you continue to go to confession?

GERALD RIDSDALE: I did for a while but not regularly.

PETER MCCLELLAN: When you say for a while, for how long did you continue to go to confession?

GERALD RIDSDALE: Maybe three, four, five years.

PETER MCCLELLAN: And were you honest in what you confessed to your confessor?

GERALD RIDSDALE: No.

PETER MCCLELLAN: What did you not confess to your confessor which you should have?

GERALD RIDSDALE: I didn't confess the sexual offending against children.

ELEANOR HALL: And that's that convicted sex offender Gerald Ridsdale there giving his testimony.

Sam, one of the key questions for this inquiry is how much the church hierarchy knew about his behaviour, what did he say about that?

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Well, Ridsdale's emphasised Eleanor that he never spoke to anyone about his offending that he recall, never to fellow priests, to family members or friends.

He's read from his statement this morning about an early report and been asked some questions by counsel assisting Gail Furness as well as the royal commission chairman Peter McClellan.

This is a little bit of that reading.

GERALD RIDSDALE: The first complaint that ever came in was in my first year as a priest and that would have been Ballarat north, and I drove from that home to near Winchelsea.

And while I was there I remember going into his room and fondling him while he was showing me something in the cupboard, toys or whatever, and putting my hand down his trousers and touching his penis.

Then later the bishop called me in, Bishop O'Collins and said that there had been a complaint and he said, if this thing happens again then you are off to the missions, and he sent me to Mildura.

PETER MCCLELLAN: Well, having a priesthood taken away is very serious, isn't it?

GERALD RIDSDALE: It is.

PETER MCCLELLAN: So are we to understand at this point in time the Bishop thought you had done something seriously wrong?

GERALD RIDSDALE: Well, I think so but I can't put myself back in that situation and...

GAIL FURNESS: You would have been troubled deeply by the thought that you could lose the priesthood when you were just in your first year as a priest, wouldn't you Mr Ridsdale?

GERALD RIDSDALE: I would have been, yes.

GAIL FURNESS: Because you would have lost face with your family, wouldn't you?

GERALD RIDSDALE: Yes.

GAIL FURNESS: You would have lost the standings as a priest?

GERALD RIDSDALE: Yes, I would have lost faith in myself because I was a very proud person.

It just would have been devastating.

PETER MCCLELLAN: Did it occur to you at the time that you were hurting the children?

GERALD RIDSDALE: Your honour, I'm not sure. I don't know.

I don't know what I was thinking.

ELEANOR HALL: That's more of the evidence there from the convicted child sex offender and defrocked priest Gerald Ridsdale.

Sam, did he express or has he ever expressed any regret for his offending?

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: I don't know about in the past, Eleanor, but this morning he was asked if he thinks crimes admitted to in the confessional should be reported to the police by priests and he said given the damage he's done, he thinks that they should.

ELEANOR HALL: Now in another major development there, Cardinal Pell has provided a statement to the royal commission today, what did he say in that?

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Well, he's reiterated his willingness to give evidence to the royal commission, he said he'll do it by statement and appearance by video link or by attending personally.

It's important to note, Eleanor, given the furore that's erupted around Cardinal Pell that it was never expected that he would give evidence at this block of Ballarat hearings, you can't just turn up to a royal commission without being asked to.

There will be a second block of Ballarat hearings later in the year for about a fortnight and it's looking increasingly likely now that Cardinal Pell will be called then and as I just said he's expressed his willingness to attend.

ELEANOR HALL: Sam Donovan, our reporter there covering the hearings of the royal commission into child sexual abuse in Ballarat.