Child Abuse Royal Commission Summons George Pell, Ronald Mulkearns

By Tessa Akerman
The Australian
July 30, 2015

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Bishop Ronald Mulkearns will be summoned to give evidence to the child sex Royal Commission in November.

In a press release issued this afternoon the Royal Commission stated it anticipated Cardinal George Pell and Bishop Ronald Mulkearns would give evidence at the public hearing which will take place in Melbourne and not Ballarat due to logistic issues.

The Royal Commission previously heard evidence that the former Bishop of Ballarat knew of paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale’s offending in the diocese and moved Ridsdale from parish to parish when complaints were made.

Bishop Mulkearns served as the bishop of Ballarat between 1971-97.

After having a stroke in 1998, Bishop Mulkearns avoided the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into child sex abuse in institutions, citing ill health.

Last week however Geelong Magistrate John Lesser ordered him to give evidence in the committal hearing of another Ballarat priest charged with historical sex offences, Robert Claffey.