Prolific paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale will be just shy of 100-years-old when his jail sentence expires after admitting to more crimes against young boys.
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The 88-year-old, who has been in jail since 1994, pleaded guilty earlier this year to more child sexual offences, this time against two young boys while he was serving as a priest in Mortlake in 1981 and 1982.
Some of the offences happened during Confession or within the victims' family home.
On Wednesday the former priest, who was already expected to die behind bars, was sentenced to another six-and-a-half years' jail.
Judge Claire Quin ordered two years be added to Ridsdale's current sentence for previous offences, bringing the total to 39 years.
Ridsdale is now eligible for parole in 2027. He would be 93.
His sentence is due to expire in 2033 when he would be 99.
The judge said it was "overwhelmingly likely" Ridsdale would die in prison.
The court heard he had now committed almost 200 sexual offences against 71 victims.
Judge Quin said the offending extended over a period of 12 months and involved a "grave breach of trust".
"You were, because of your position as the parish priest, blindly accepted, trusted and revered by parishioners and other members of the community," she said.
She said Ridsdale's offending was prolific and brazen.
Judge Quin said she was informed Ridsdale declined to hear victim impact statements written by the two Mortlake men.
She said the statements provided an insight into the impact of Ridsdale's offending, particularly on the victims' capacity to develop normal relationships, a lack of progress in their careers and resorting to alcohol and drugs to cope.
One victim said he ended up in prison due to his anti-social behaviour while the other said he still felt "deeply ashamed", "weak and disgusting".
Judge Quin said one of the victims stated his family no longer attended any type of religious celebration with the exception of very few funerals and weddings, and that was an area of their lives poisoned by Ridsdale's offending.
She said those words would ring true for so many of his victims.
The judge said neither boy complained at the time of the offending and were unlikely to do so given Ridsdale's unchallenged authority and respect, which ensured they would not have been believed.
She said the role the Catholic church played in allowing sexual offending to continue was now well documented and understood but Ridsdale was not to be personally punished for any of the church hierarchy's "actions or inactions".
The judge said while it was alleged Ridsdale told the boys to be silent, he was not responsible for the broader context of clerical impurity.
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Jessica Howard
jessica.howard@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
jessica.howard@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
