Notorious pedophile priest Gerald Francis Ridsdale's three decades of sexually abusing children is unprecedented offending that demands an unprecedented sentence, a court has been told.
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Ridsdale preyed on vulnerable children for his own gratification, crown prosecutor Jeremy McWilliams told the former Catholic priest's plea hearing for offences against another 12 children.
"It is hard to imagine a man who has had a more devastating effect on those who have had the misfortune of coming into contact with him," Mr McWilliams told the Victorian County Court on Wednesday.
The sentencing submissions were heard in Melbourne.
The former Catholic priest has pleaded guilty to sex crimes against another 12 children, one as young as six, during the three decades he abused children throughout western Victoria.
Ridsdale used his position as a parish priest to befriend the children and their devout Catholic families in parishes in western Victoria, telling some of his victims "it's our little secret" and one that "it's part of God's work".
Ridsdale has previously been convicted in four court cases for abusing 53 children.
The 83-year-old has been in jail since 1994, serving an effective total sentence of 28 years.
Yesterday Defence counsel Tim Marsh said Ridsdale knew what he was doing was wrong and took advantage of the venerated position clergy were held in at the time.
"Mr Ridsdale is clearly a repugnant figure to many for reasons which are only too easily understandable," Mr Marsh said.
"The likelihood of him dying in custody before the expiry of his sentence is a matter which is unlikely to concern many people in the broader community.
"Some may believe that's what should happen to Mr Ridsdale."
But he urged Judge Irene Lawson not to change Ridsdale's current earliest possible parole date of April 2019 when she sentences him for the 23 charges of abusing 11 boys and one girl between 1962 and 1988.
The pre-sentencing hearing will conclude Wednesday with sentencing at a later date.
A trail of destruction across western Victoria: a life
- 1934 - Born May 20, St Arnaud, Victoria
- Primary school St Aloysius, Redan
- Secondary school St Patrick's College, Ballarat
- 1954-1958 - Studied for priesthood Corpus Christi College, Werribee. Began offending.
- 1958-1960 - Seminary, Collegio Brignole Sale, Genoa
- 1960-1961 - Seminary, All Hallows College, Dublin
- 1961 - July 25, ordained at St Patrick's Cathedral, Ballarat
- - Fills in at five parishes including Horsham, Inglewood, Camperdown and Ballarat North
- 1962-1964 - Assistant priest at Ballarat North. First complaint from a boy at Villa Maria boarding school in Ballarat East
- 1964-1974 - Assistant priest Mildura, Swan Hill, Warrnambool and Ballarat East
- 1974-1975 - Parish priest Apollo Bay. Puts in for transfer after a man tells him in a pub there's talk about him and kids
- 1975 - Parish priest Inglewood. Panics and leaves overnight after a woman says there is talk he has been interfering with boys and police are making inquiries. Sent for counselling
- Early 1976 - Temporarily appointed to Bungaree
- 1976-1979 - Administrator then parish priest Edenhope
- 1980 - Study leave, National Pastoral Institute. Offended there
- 1981-1982 - Parish priest Mortlake. Prolific offender
- 1982 - Starts on-and-off counselling
- 1982-1985 - Catholic Enquiry Centre, Sydney. Offends against boy from parish prayer group who became his altar boy. Centre director says "I want him out of here"
- Early 1986 - Short periods as Woy Woy assistant priest and Forestville administrator, both in then Sydney archdiocese
- July 1986-May 1988 - Assistant priest Horsham. Written complaint about offending while in Horsham
- April 1988 - Steps down from parish work
- June 1988 - Suspended for 12 months
- 1989-1990 - Residential program in New Mexico. Admitted to police he offended in US
- - Ridsdale says didn't offend from time he returned to Australia and his 1993 arrest
- March/April 1991 - Assistant priest St John of God Hospital, Richmond, NSW
- May 1993 - Admits indecently assaulting eight children. Sentenced to two years and three months.
- November 1993 - Defrocked
- August 1994 - Admits abusing 20 boys and one girl from 1961-1982
- October 1994 - Jailed for 18 years
- August 2006 - Sentenced to 13 years; admits abusing 10 boys from 1970-1987
- April 2014 - Sentenced to eight years; admits abusing 11 boys, three girls from 1961-1980
- December 2016 - Charged with fresh historical sex abuse charges
- April 2017 - Ridsdale pleads guilty to latest charges
- August 2017 - Faces pre-sentencing hearing in Victorian County Court after pleading guilty to 23 charges involving 11 boys and one girl over offences from 1962 to 1988.
