Disgraced paedophile Catholic priest Gerald Ridsdale will front court next week charged with more than 36 new allegations of historic child sexual abuse.
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Ridsdale, 82, is due to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court next Friday for a mentions hearing.
He is charged with multiple offences against a number of alleged victims from across Victoria, including rape, buggery and unlawful and indecent assault of children between the 1960s and 1980s while he was a Catholic priest in the Ballarat diocese.
The Courier understands a number of Ridsdale’s alleged victims have come forward and made reports to Victoria Police Taskforce Sano in the wake of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The taskforce was set up to probe allegations arising from the child abuse royal commission.
Ridsdale was ordained as a priest at St Patrick's Cathedral in Ballarat in 1961.
He went onto to work as a priest at parishes in communities including Ballarat, Horsham, Edenhope, Mortlake, Inglewood and Warrnambool until the late 1980s.
To contact the South Western Centre Against Sexual Assault contact 5564 4144 or 1800 806 292.
Victoria Police SANO Taskforce: 1800 110 007.
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Melissa Cunningham
City of Ballarat and Social Affairs Reporter
City of Ballarat and Social Affairs Reporter
