AUSTRALIA
The Age
December 9, 2015
Jane Lee
A priest who was involved in decisions to move paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale between numerous parishes told a court Ridsdale was an “outstanding priest” without finding out what crimes he was to be sentenced for.
Father Frank Madden was a member of a group of senior priests called the College of Consultors, which advised Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns on various appointments of priests within the diocese between 1979 and 1982.
Father Madden was among those who provided a character reference for Ridsdale after he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing eight boys, saying he had worked “closely” with Ridsdale for 30 years in various roles in the Ballarat diocese.
“In my judgment Father Ridsdale has been quite an outstanding priest in almost every facet of his work … To the best of my knowledge, Father Ridsdale is held in high regard by the vast number of people he has ministered to throughout the diocese,” the reference to the court said.
Justice Peter McClellan, the chairman of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, asked Father Madden on Wednesday whether he had found out what Ridsdale’s crimes were before providing the reference.
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