“Cardinal George Pell willing to give evidence at Ballarat royal commission hearing” & related articles

Gerald Ridsdale with George Pell in 1993. Photo: Geoff Ampt

Victoria’s worst paedophile priest has told a royal commission he can’t remember living with Cardinal George Pell or “having any dealings with George at all”, despite the prominent Catholic leader walking him to church for his first court appearance.

For years victims have criticised Cardinal Pell – then a bishop – for accompanying Gerald Ridsdale to the Melbourne Magistrates Court in 1993.

Ridsdale told the royal commission from prison on Wednesday that the only conversation he had with Cardinal Pell at the time was on their 10-minute walk from the St Franciscan Monastery to the court.

“I can’t remember when I first met him … I’ve never had much to do with him,” he said.

Although records show the two men lived at the same Ballarat presbytery in the early 70s, Ridsdale said it was his barrister who had suggested Cardinal Pell as a character reference and asked him to accompany Ridsdale.

“The barrister was looking for people who might come and speak on my behalf and Pell was one of the people he suggested,” he said.

The commission has heard that Ridsdale personally approached Ballarat priest Father Adrian McInerney, who ultimately provided a good character reference for him at this court appearance.

Asked by the commission’s chair, Peter McClellan, what Ridsdale thought Cardinal Pell would say, he replied “I don’t know, I think we were clutching at straws really.

“I don’t know what benefit anyone coming to speak on my behalf … would’ve been to me or my cause, to my hearing or sentence. But the barrister said we need some people to come along and support me.”

Ridsdale’s offending against children spans more than three decades from the 1950s to the late 1980s, during which time he was moved from parish to parish across Victoria.

Cardinal Pell has apologised at the royal commission for any offence caused by accompanying Ridsdale to court.

On Wednesday, Ridsdale said that he had little to do with then Father Pell and denied having any recollection of living at the Ballarat East presbytery with him.

“I can’t remember actually being there with George,” he said. “I can’t remember him in the house … I’ve never had much to do with him.”

Ridsdale said he “would have met him, he was a Ballarat-born-and-bred man, although I think he was some years behind me in priesthood and I think he did all his studies overseas.”

St Alipius Parish priest Father McInerney told the commission on Tuesday that Ridsdale had personally asked him to support him in court. He said he agreed to do this without knowing what the court matter was about: “I took him at his word it was a minor matter.”

Father McInerney said he was horrified and aghast when he first heard Ridsdale’s charges read out in court, but went on to give the character reference, unaware he could at that point change his mind about doing this and leave.

Speaking outside the hearing, David Ridsdale, who was a victim of his uncle’s offending, said it appeared to be “another case of selective Vatican memory”. “I’d be curious to know who’s visited or rang him in the last six weeks,” he said.

Cardinal Pell reiterated that he would appear in person commission if required, in a letter to the Justice McClellan, on Tuesday night.

“Without wanting to pre-empt the Royal Commission in any way – you can’t just invite yourself to give evidence – I want to make it absolutely clear that I am willing to give evidence should the Commission request this, be it by statement, appearance by video link, or by attending personally.”

“Like everyone else I am horrified by the accounts that survivors have given in their evidence during the Ballarat hearings, and at the enormous impact the abuse has had on them, their families and the community.”