AUSTRALIA
Herald Sun
PADRAIC MURPHY HERALD SUN APRIL 08, 2014
A PRIEST who allegedly witnessed predatory pedophile Gerald Ridsdale raping a young girl 40 years ago has been slammed by a judge, but the clergyman’s identity has been withheld from the public.
The Chief Judge of the County Court criticised the alleged witness priest — whose identity is known by the victim, court, Office of Police Prosecutions and Ridsdale’s lawyers.
But the judge refused a Herald Sun application for access to documents in which he is believed to be named.
In sentencing one of Australia’s most notorious pedophile priests to eight years in jail, Judge Michael Rozenes said: “Although it does not directly involve you, Mr Ridsdale, there is a further disturbing aspect to this incident, namely that this complainant believes another priest was present for a short time while you were sexually assaulting her and must have been aware of the assault but did not intervene.
“I raise this merely to make an observation: namely that this behaviour appears to be demonstrative of the church’s approach to sexual abuse at the time which ultimately — and unfortunately, for your victims — allowed your criminal behaviour to go unchecked for so long.’’
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