Grafton doctor William Pridgeon’s child stealing charges dropped

Significant criminal charges against him may have been dropped but a North Coast doctor says his life has already been destroyed.

Dr William Pridgeon says while he is relieved child stealing charges have been dropped, they have already taken a massive toll on his life and career. Picture: Adam Hourigan

Relief has come at a great cost for Grafton GP Dr William Pridgeon who for almost three years has been fighting allegations he helped a mum kidnap her two children from their father who had legal custody.

Child stealing charges laid by the Australian Federal Police in 2018 have since been withdrawn but Dr Pridgeon says the experience has destroyed him personally and professionally.

“We were emailed the charges for the indictment and the child stealing charges simply were not there,” he said.

“The (Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions) was very coy about answering questions about it and really, even the lawyers were confused about what had happened.”

Dr Pridgeon said the charges were likely dropped due to a lack of evidence.

“In no sense were those children ever stolen by myself or anybody else,” he said.

“The children were never in my care; I was never in their presence except when the mother was in the immediate vicinity.”

Dr William Russell Massingham Pridgeon (centre) is seen leaves Brisbane Magistrates Court in 2019.

Dr Pridgeon said the criminal charges against him were symptomatic of the systemic failure of authorities to protect children from abuse.

For Dr Pridgeon personally, he continues to navigate the “deep and profound grief” of losing his personal and professional identity from the ordeal.

He said he had planned to keep working at his clinic until physically unable to do so and retire on his own terms.

But with a temporary medical licence suspension still in place and an ongoing criminal matter looming over him, he said that plan has been snatched away.

“I looked forward to seeing the patients on my appointment list, as I would old friends,” he said.

“I had known so many of them for 20 years, I watched kids grow up and people grow old.

He said he had looked forward to work every day.

“I meet people every day who I miss as patients,” he said.

“They tell me that after two-to-three years, they still cannot find a GP in Grafton to accept them.

“I know that patients have died because of this.”

Dr Pridgeon is yet to defend the two remaining charges relating to Operation Noetic, which include two counts of conspiracy to defeat justice.