AUSTRALIA
Broken Rites
By a Broken Rites researcher (updated 18 November 2013)
Why did Bishop George Pell accompany Father Gerald Francis Ridsdale to court on 27 May 1993 when Ridsdale was jailed for child-sex crimes? And why did no bishop, or even a priest, accompany the victims?
Father Ridsdale (with his features obscured by dark glasses and a cap) walked to the Melbourne Magistrates Court with his support person, Bishop Pell (wearing clerical garb).
That evening, Channel Nine’s news bulletin showed footage of Father Ridsdale and Bishop Pell arriving at the court. This bulletin was viewed throughout the state of Victoria, including by many church-abuse victims. Viewers noticed that a bishop was accompanying the criminal priest, rather than accompanying the victims.
This publicity alerted other Ridsdale victims, many of whom later rang the newly-established Broken Rites telephone hotline. Broken Rites told these callers the phone number of the Victoria Police child-abuse unit, where they could report Ridsdale’s crimes.
As police interviewed more of his victims, Ridsdale was brought back to court in 1994 and 2006 to be given additional time behind bars.
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