AUSTRALIA
The Standard
By MARK RUSSELL, The Age April 8, 2014
GERALD Ridsdale, one of Australia’s most notorious paedophile priests who admitted abusing at least 53 children between 1961 to 1982, has been sentenced to eight years in jail.
County Court Chief Judge Michael Rozenes said Ridsdale’s “unfettered sexual deviance” had been a blatant breach of the trust existing between priests and parishioners.
Judge Rozenes said Ridsdale had preyed on his vulnerable victims under the guise of being the ‘friendly priest’.
Ridsdale’s position in the church involved a high degree of trust and some degree of power and his offending had had a devastating impact on his young victims.
The Catholic Church had unfortunately allowed Ridsdale’s criminal behaviour to go unchecked for so long, Judge Rozenes said when jailing Ridsdale for eight years with a non-parole period of five years.
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