Disgraced Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns's Name Removed from Schools out of Respect to Victims

By Bridget Judd
ABC News
March 15, 2017

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-15/disgraced-ballarat-bishops-name-removed-school-vic/8356226

PHOTO: Bishop Ronald Mulkearns was accused of failing to protect child abuse victims from a paedophile priest. (ABC News)

A push to remove the name of disgraced former Ballarat bishop Ronald Mulkearns from schools across western Victoria is gaining momentum.

St Joseph's Primary School at Warrnambool is the latest to replace a plaque bearing the former bishop's name.

The former bishop oversaw the Ballarat diocese during a notorious period of sexual abuse by clergy, and was accused of moving paedophile priests, including prolific offender Gerald Ridsdale, around western Victoria.

Mr Mulkearns died last year.

In its weekly newsletter, St Josephs Primary School announced the move after referring the issue to its school advisory council last month.

"The school plaque commemorates the school opening here on this site in 1985," the newsletter read.

"Our school council's view was to importantly maintain the recorded historical fact of the opening celebration, but to respect the victims of clerical abuse, identified via the royal commission, by removing the name."

Principal Michael Gray said the recommendation was made as a show of solidarity to victims.

"But also being proactive to say, we recognise these things have happened, and we want to make sure they don't into the future," he said.

Mr Gray said it was important the plaque still celebrated the school's history.

"[To] recognise the good people involved there and also recognise a name was removed to support victims of abuse," he said.

"So I think accurately stating why the name was removed is very important as well."

A plaque bearing the former bishop's name was also removed from St Colman's Primary School at Mortlake last month, where Ridsdale once taught.