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19 November 2016

Catholic Church allowed evil to prey on western Victoria’s young

It was just after Easter 1988 that Father Gerald Ridsdale knew the game was up. Not for the first time, the Catholic Church had tried to hide its worst sexual abuser in rural Victoria, this time in the small, biscuit-flat western city of Horsham.
Ridsdale, knowing police were on his trail, turned to his priestly colleague and friend, Frank Madden, and declared he was leaving town. “I have to move on,” Ridsdale said. “My past has caught up with me.” He added that he had been offending against children. “I’ll go to jail over this.’’

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/catholic-church-allowed-evil-to-prey-on-western-victorias-young/news-story/332130d7393c4e2c8497a5631b8a03b0