George Pell: I didn’t bribe paedophile victim David Ridsdale to be quiet

news.com.au
May 21, 2015

http://www.news.com.au/national/george-pell-i-didnt-bribe-paedophile-victim-david-ridsdale-to-be-quiet/story-fncynjr2-1227362214604

Denied claims ... Australian cardinal George Pell says he never tried to bribe David Ridsdale to stay quiet about abuse claims.

Giving evidence ... Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, held in Sydney.

Abuse victim ... David Ridsdale at his home in Victoria in 1994 says he told George Pell about the abuse. Photo by John Feder

Family friend ... George Pell with Gerald Ridsdale (left).

Pope’s inner circle ... Cardinal George Pell meets with Pope Francis in 2013.

CARDINAL George Pell will co-operate with any requests made by the Victorian royal commission into child sex abuse, according to a close friend.

Amid calls for Cardinal Pell to front the hearings currently being held in Ballarat, Greg Craven, from the Truth, Justice and Healing Council, says he expects his friend to be compliant. There have been claims Cardinal Pell had been involved in moving a known pedophile, ignoring a victim’s complaint and bribery. “He has a long record of co-operation and compliance with investigations similar to this,” Mr Craven told 3AW radio on Thursday.

“He’ll cooperate with the royal commission.” While it is not known whether Cardinal Pell will be called as a witness, Mr Craven said the royal commission had a few options, including asking him for a statement or to appear as a witness via video link.

Cardinal Pell has slammed “false and misleading” claims that he attempted to bribe a victim of child sex abuse or protect an accused paedophile priest 40 years ago.

In a lengthy statement issued from his office in Rome today, Cardinal Pell again denounced various claims against him and said he too had been horrified by survivors’ accounts coming from the royal commission into child sex abuse.

David Ridsdale told the royal commission that he phoned Cardinal Pell in 1993 to tell him that his uncle, Gerald Ridsdale, a friend of Cardinal Pell’s, was abusing him but that the priest tried to silence him.

He said Cardinal Pell asked “what would it take” for him to keep quiet about the abuse.

Mr Ridsdale said Cardinal Pell started talking about his growing family and that he may soon have to buy a car or house

Mr Risdale said he told his sisters about the conversation.

“I remember saying to both my sisters, ‘the bastard just tried to bribe me’,” Mr Ridsdale said.

“I have never stated that Pell offered me anything specific or tangible in our conversation, only that his attempts to direct the conversation down a particular path made me extremely suspicious of his motivations and what he was insinuating.”

Cardinal Pell said there had been a “misunderstanding” between the two men.

“I was and remain extremely sympathetic to David Ridsdale who because of his uncle suffered horrible abuse,” Cardinal Pell said.

“I continue to regret the misunderstanding between us. At no time did I attempt to bribe David Ridsdale or his family or offer any financial inducements for him to be silent. At the time of our discussion the police were already aware of allegations against Gerald Ridsdale and were investigating. Then, and now, I supported these police investigations. I have previously made a sworn denial of these allegations and I reiterate that denial.”

He said he remained committed to the royal commission and would refrain from commenting publicly further as he anticipated being asked to provide another fuller statement to the inquiry.

David Ridsdale said Cardinal Pell was a close friend of the family and had been for more than a decade.

In a second case, Timothy Green said that allegations of clergy abuse by a brother at St Patrick’s in Ballarat were dismissed by Cardinal Pell in 1974.

It was also alleged at the hearing that Cardinal Pell moved to relocate another clergy accused of abusing boys and attempted to bribe that priests’ alleged victim.

“Over the last 24 hours I have been accused of being complicit in the moving of a known paedophile, of ignoring a victim’s complaint, and of bribery,” Cardinal Pell in his statement.

“These matters again require an immediate response and it is important to correct the record particularly given the false and misleading headlines.

“Firstly, while out of the greatest respect for Mr Green, as I have stated previously, I have no recollection of a conversation with Mr Green in 1974, more than 40 years ago. Having recently read his statement to the Commission I still cannot remember Mr. Green or the conversation. To the best of my belief, this conversation did not happen. I stand by my previous statements.”

The hearings continue.