Injustice for priest’s victim-survivors despite death

Injustice Despite Ridsdale’s Death

Title: Injustice for priest’s victim-survivors despite death

Authors:  Adrian Black and Melissa Meehan

Publisher: Australian Associated Press (AAP)

Date: 18FEB2025

The death of Australia’s worst pedophile priest could contribute to trauma for victim-survivors, advocates say, with concerns a recent court decision may further deny them justice.

Gerald Ridsdale, convicted of abusing at least 72 children over three decades, died aged 90 on Tuesday morning in Port Phillip Prison’s medical unit.

He was one of multiple convicted pedophile priests and Christian Bothers who operated in the Diocese of Ballarat in western Victoria, along with Robert Best, Edward Dowlan, Gerald Leo Fitzgerald and Bryan Desmond Coffey.

Judy Courtin, a lawyer whose firm represented many of Ridsdale’s victims in court, said a landmark 2024 High Court judgement not to recognise the vicarious liability of the Diocese “twisted a knife” into abuse victims and survivors.

“These people can no longer sue the Diocese of Ballarat for any of Ridsdale’s horrific sex crimes if the Diocese establishes it had no prior knowledge of his heinous offending,” Dr Courtin said.

“Justice is, yet again, cold-bloodedly denied by the Catholic Church.”