Pope Defrock Vincent Ryan
Notorious paedophile priest Vince Ryan has walked free on parole from a Sydney jail having served less than half of his sentence for the historic sexual abuse of two altar boys in the NSW Hunter region.
Key points:
- Ryan already served 14 years for sexual abuse of boys between 1972 and 1991
- The Catholic Church said it would not be financially supporting Ryan on the outside
- One of Ryan’s victims said the parole was like “the monster being let out”
The Catholic priest, who worked in the Newcastle-Maitland diocese, served 14 months of a three-year sentence for the crimes committed against two boys at the end of last century.
The 82-year-old was picked up by a driver in a white Toyota Corolla and driven out of the gates at Long Bay Jail at 6:00am, before being taken to his accommodation at an undisclosed location in Sydney.
A spokesperson for Newcastle Bishop Bill Wright insisted the Catholic Church would not be financially supporting Ryan even though there was no attempt to strip him of his priesthood.
Survivor Gerard McDonald said he was “outraged” by a decision to grant Ryan parole after a sentencing judge found “positive prospects for rehabilitation”.
“It’s just disgusting that he’s still a priest let alone he’s getting out early — I’m very anxious and fearful,” Mr McDonald said.