AUSTRALIA
ABC News
February 25, 2016
Former Catholic bishop Ronald Mulkearns has told a royal commission he is not sure if he knew child abuse was a crime during his time in charge of the Ballarat diocese, but he knew it was wrong.
The former bishop made his much-anticipated appearance at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse via videolink from the nursing home in which he now lives.
Until now Bishop Mulkearns had been excused from giving evidence because he was too sick.
Asked if he referred paedophile Gerald Ridsdale for help because he knew he was abusing children, he said yes.
Bishop Mulkearns told the hearing he never asked priests directly if they were abusers but instead got reports from psychologists.
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