Pell must have known - Abused Ridsdale victim

Ridsdale and his boy Levey. 1982

Levey today in Rome to hear Pell's testimony

Pell has been grilled by the Royal Commission into institutionalised child sexual abuse the last few days. He denies having any knowledge that paedophile priest Ridsdale was fucking kids. A claim strongly contested by a victim of Ridsdale who Ridsdale used as a fuck boy for ages. Despite repeated attempts by his mother to have him removed from the situation, the church never said anything about paedophilia.

Mr Levey said his mother had called Bishop Mulkearns multiple times requesting he be removed from Ridsdale's care, but she was repeatedly ignored. 

"I can't believe that those meetings never discussed his paedophilia," he said. "There is no way Cardinal Pell couldn't have known what was going on." 

Mr Levey said Ridsdale hadn't been shifted into another parish as a promotion as suggested by Cardinal Pell, but was removed from Mortlake to stop him sexually abusing children. 

"He had to have known, he was at those meetings," Mr Levey said. "The church definitely knew I was at the presbytery. It was common knowledge the whole time I was at Mortlake that other clergy knew I was there." 

He fought back tears as he said: "This has been the hardest part of it all so far ". 

Mr Levey said he would attempt to meet Cardinal Pell after he finished his testimony. 

Mr Levey told Fairfax Media he had battled drug and alcohol addictions and had made multiple suicide attempts. He said was still crippled by flashbacks and nightmares of his time living with Ridsdale. 

"I have drunk alcohol in order to sleep most nights and I have only recently stopped as I am taking sleeping medication instead," he said."I wouldn't be here without the support of my partner, Michele, and my daughters." 

Cardinal Pell's evidence contradicted a statement from a Ballarat diocese priest who told the royal commission in December that Ridsdale's sexual behaviour was raised at a high-level church meeting in 1982. 

Father Eric Bryant said problems managing Ridsdale were raised by Bishop Mulkearns at the meeting of seven priests, including Cardinal Pell. 

Father Bryant said Bishop Mulkearns told the priests: "We've got a problem with homosexuality in the diocese." 

He said it was later decided to shift Ridsdale from the parish of Mortlake. 

Cardinal Pell said he had no recollection of Ridsdale's sexual behaviour being raised at any high-level church meeting where it was decided to shift him from the parish, enabling him to continue offending for decades. 

The inquiry heard Cardinal Pell's cousin, Father Henry Nolan, knew Ridsdale had the boy there and raised concerns it was inappropriate and had him taken away. Sydney Morning Herald  

Pell accompanies Ridsdale to court