Paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale pleads guilty to Horsham assault charge

At a plea hearing at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Thursday, details about the 89-year-old paedophile's frail condition and failing health were revealed.

The hearing related to a single charge of indecent assault on a student at St Brigid's College in Horsham, in 1987.

Ridsdale served as assistant priest at the school from July 1986 to May 1988, and residing at the presbytery at the nearby St Michael's Primary School.

The court heard the boy was 14-years-old at the time of the offending, and had spoken to Ridsdale several times prior to the assault occurring.

In one such encounter, Ridsdale grabbed the boy's arm and said "you are a young, strong fellow", before touching him on the bottom.

The assault occurred in Ridsdale's counsellors office at the school, when Ridsdale and the boy were alone.

Ridsdale again grabbed the boy's arm, feeling his bicep and remarking about how strong he was.

He then began to rub the boy's penis with his right hand for about five to 10 seconds, telling the boy "it is all right". The boy left the office soon after.

Although a victim impact statement was not tendered to the court, excerpts from the victim's statement to the police were read aloud.

"I feel like I stood there, I was one of the ones that froze. It is nothing compared to what happened to other kids," the victim told police.

"This comes into my head every now and then, whenever I hear stuff about Father Gerry (Ridsdale), the Pell stuff, or even Brittany Higgins more recently."

The court heard the former priest had been admitted to the Port Phillip Prison hospital unit in November 2022 after injuries sustained from a fall, where he remains.

In November 2022, Ridsdale was found face-down on the floor of his cell at the Hopkins Correctional Centre, with his left arm underneath his body, unable to move.

He had been in the position for hours prior to being found, and was transferred to Port Phillip on November 29, 2022.

Ridsdale has been reliant on a wheelchair since mid 2022, and now remains bed-bound, having to be hoisted from the bed to be moved.

Ridsdale's defence lawyer Andrew Waters told the court Ridsdale's health had been rapidly deteriorating since early 2021.

Medical documents lodged with the court said in January 2023, the possibility of palliative care had been considered as Ridsdale's condition worsened.

The former priest's offending covered a period from 1961 to 1988, as he committed child abuse across a large area of western Victoria.

In total, 192 charges, including the most recent matter, have been brought against Ridsdale, who is serving a 39 year prison sentence.

Mr Waters said Ridsdale would likely die in prison, with his non-parole period expiring in 2027, and his sentencing finishing in 2033, at which time he will be 99 years old.

Both defence and prosecution agreed a prison sentence was most appropriate for the St Brigid's offending, but questioned whether the sentence should be concurrent with Ridsdale previous sentence, or cumulative.

As Ridsdale is considered a serious sexual offender by the court, all subsequent sentences must be served cumulatively, unless directed otherwise by a judge.

Magistrate Hugh Radford adjourned the matter until August 15 for sentencing.

IN OTHER NEWS

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: