AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald
By FIONA HENDERSON May 20, 2015
DISGRACED priest Gerald Ridsdale was continually moved around the Ballarat diocese due to abuse complaints, according to the counsel assisting the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
In her opening address on Tuesday, Gail Furness said Ridsdale was relocated several times by the College of Consultors – a group of priests advising former bishop Ronald Mulkearns and which included now Cardinal George Pell.
“Several of the consultors had been present at meetings of, or were members of the College of Consultors on each occasion in the past when Ridsdale had been moved,” Ms Furness said.
Minutes show Pell was present at a meeting when Ridsdale was moved from Mortlake after several complaints of inappropriate behaviour with young boys.
“The minutes do not disclose what the bishop said about why it became necessary (to move Ridsdale),” Ms Furness said.
“However … it is expected that there will be evidence that Bishop Mulkearns knew it was because Ridsdale had abused boys in Mortlake and that he had offended in this manner in 1975.
“The principal (of the school) told the Catholic Church Insurances investigator that she was forbidden by the bishop to speak to the rest of the staff about what had happened.
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