AUSTRALIA
The Guardian
Oliver Milman
@olliemilman
Wednesday 27 May 2015
Convicted paedophile Gerald Ridsdale has described how he committed a string of sexual offences, including on a boy in the UK, after being repeatedly moved to different locations by the Catholic hierarchy.
Ridsdale, 81, was speaking via a video link from prison to the royal commission into institutional responses to child sex abuse, held in the Victorian city of Ballarat.
The former priest said that shortly after he was ordained in 1961, he fondled a young boy, which resulted in a complaint. He was told by local bishop James O’Collins that “if this thing happens again you’ll be off to the missions”. He said he was then sent to Mildura.
After offending further, he was sent to Swan Hill and then Warrnambool. He said he did not request these moves. “In those days there wasn’t a choice,” he said. “There was no consultation, it was ‘you go’ and you went.”
He said he did not discuss his widespread sexual offences with anyone and was not told the reasons for his new placements. Under questioning from Gail Furness, he frequently said he did not recall details of his time as a priest, nor could he recollect conversations with high-ranking Catholic officials.
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