Paedophile Priest Gerald Ridsdale Dies
For decades Gerald Ridsdale, draped in flowing white vestments, stood before countless Catholic congregations preaching about good and evil, the innocence of children, and a merciful god.
But on him, those vestments were merely a convenient costume disguising one of the nation’s most evil men — a prolific paedophile who showed no mercy as he dashed the innocence from the lives of dozens of children.
Ridsdale, who has died in jail at the age of 90, leaves behind a dark legacy that includes the abuse of at least 72 child victims over a 30-year, unchecked reign of terror.
It is believed his appalling abuse has led to several of his victims taking their own lives, and many others enduring devastating trauma that continues to this day.
Ridsdale’s crimes changed Australia’s legal system, shaped royal commissions and inquiries, and scarred a church once considered unimpeachable.
Following the revelations of his offending, Ridsdale became emblematic of a culture of an unscrupulous church that did all it could to silence the small voices of his victims.
The life of a ‘monster’
Gerald Ridsdale was born in 1934 in the Wimmera region of Western Victoria.
At the age of 20, he entered the seminary at Corpus Christi College at Werribee, on the outskirts of Melbourne, and remained there until 1958.
During this time he is known to have sexually abused at least one boy while assisting with camps for underprivileged children.
Then, when studying in England in 1960, he abused another boy while working as a housemaster at a school.
A year later, 27-year-old Ridsdale was ordained as a Catholic priest.
Thus commenced a 30-year series of appointments followed by quiet shuffles from parish to parish, as Ridsdale caused enormous suffering to scores of children without facing the consequences.
It wasn’t until 1993 that the perverted priest was finally charged with sexual offences against multiple children, dating from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Ridsdale admitted to the offences in a Melbourne court that same year and was jailed for 12 months.
But as more victims came forward, the scale of his offending became clearer, leading to further sentences.
He was charged eight times over the years — bringing the total number of his known victims to 72.
It makes Ridsdale not only Australia’s worst paedophile priest, but also one of the most prolific sexual abusers of children in the nation’s history.
Prior to his death, 90-year-old Ridsdale was facing yet another court case relating to the abuse of six more children.