THE STATE’S child sex abuse inquiry is examining why the Catholic Church relocated a notorious paedophile priest who offended all across western Victoria to Swan Hill, where he reoffended.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has this week held public hearings in Ballarat to determine whether the Catholic Church was aware Gerald Ridsdale and other priests in the Ballarat diocese were committing sexual abuse while in the clergy.
Ridsdale, who has been in jail for child abuse offences since 1993, was in Swan Hill between 1966 and 1969 during his rotations around the Ballarat diocese, and was resent there in the mid 1970s to relieve other priests.
The counsel assisting the Royal Commission Gail Furness SC told the inquiry in her opening address that after a complaint had been made about Ridsdale abusing a boy during first few years at Ballarat Cathedral parish in the early 1960s, the Catholic Church Insurances investigator told the priest, “if this thing happens again you are off to the missions”.
Ridsdale was later sent to Mildura in the mid 1960s before then being relocated to Swan Hill.
Ms Furnell also questioned how much Cardinal George Pell, who was an assistant priest in Swan Hill in 1971 shortly after Ridsdale left, knew of Ridsdale’s behaviour.
She told the inquiry Cardinal Pell — who now oversees the Vatican’s finances — was one of seven present at a 1982 meeting where the need to remove Ridsdale from a school where he offended was discussed.
Cardinal Pell has always denied knowing of Ridsdale’s actions.
For more on this story, grab a copy of Friday’s Guardian (May 22).
