Australia's Most Notorious Pedophile Priest Gerald Ridsdale Dies in Prison

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Australia's most notorious pedophile priest, Gerald Ridsdale, has died in prison at the age of 90, bringing an end to a life marked by trauma, abuse, and suffering for countless victims and their families. Ridsdale's death has been met with mixed reactions from survivor advocates and groups, with some acknowledging that his passing may be seen as the end of a dark chapter, while others emphasize that it does not erase the immense suffering he inflicted on innocent children and their families.

Ridsdale's history of child abuse began in 1961, the year he was ordained as a priest, and spanned over three decades, during which he abused dozens of children across regional Victoria, often using his privileged status as a priest to earn the trust of his victims and their families. He was also accused of abusing children in New South Wales and the US, where he underwent church-connected sex offender treatment. The 2017 royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse found that the Diocese of Ballarat had known of Ridsdale's offending since the 1960s, and that those high up in the church had made decisions to shift Ridsdale to other parishes after allegations of child abuse to avoid scandal.

The child abuse royal commission investigated what the late cardinal George Pell knew of Ridsdale's offending while Pell worked in the Ballarat diocese, and found that, as early as 1973, Pell had "turned his mind to the prudence of Ridsdale taking boys on overnight camps". The commission heard that Pell was involved in a meeting of the College of Consultors about whether to move Ridsdale from the Mortlake parish in Ballarat to Sydney, and that Pell claimed he was deceived at the meeting about the true reasons for moving Ridsdale, something rejected by the royal commission. Survivor advocates, including Leonie Sheedy, co-founder of the Care Leavers Australia Network, and Alison Geale, chief executive of child protection group Bravehearts, have spoken out about Ridsdale's death, emphasizing that it does not erase the misery and suffering he caused, and that many Catholic enablers should hang their heads in shame for ignoring the children's cries.

Ridsdale was serving a maximum of 40 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to sexually abusing at least 72 children during the 1970s and 1980s while working as a Catholic priest at multiple schools and churches across Victoria. He had been in poor health for some time, suffering from chronic pain, muscle wasting, and weak limbs, and had been excused from attending his most recent court mentions. The news of Ridsdale's death has sparked a range of reactions, from sadness and anger to relief and closure, as survivors and their families continue to grapple with the aftermath of his heinous crimes.

In the wake of Ridsdale's death, survivor advocates are calling for continued action to address the systemic issues that allowed his abuse to occur, and to support those who have been affected by his crimes. This includes providing access to counseling and support services, as well as working to prevent similar cases of abuse from happening in the future. As one survivor, Paul Levey, who was abused by Ridsdale at the age of 13, noted, Ridsdale's power and influence were used to groom not just his victims, but also their families and communities, highlighting the need for a comprehensive and ongoing response to address the scale and scope of his abuse.