AUSTRALIA
The Standard

By Melissa Cunningham
Dec. 13, 2015

A SENIOR Catholic figure faced scrutiny for failure to respond to the pleas of parents trying to protect their children from paedophile priest Gerard Ridsdale.

Several parents complained to Brisbane auxiliary bishop Brian Finnigan about Ridsdale’s “disturbing” behaviour in Mortlake in 1981, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse was told.

The inquiry heard on Friday that Bishop Finnigan, then secretary to Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns, told parents there was no reason to be concerned about Ridsdale.

The commission was told he never reported any complaints to Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns. Bishop Finnigan said he had no proof at the time the allegations were true.

“That was the information that was said,” he told the inquiry.

“Whether it was true or not was another question.”