George Pell ‘was aware’ of predator Gerald Ridsdale

George Pell offered ‘implausible evidence on the criminal behaviour of two pedophile priests.

Cardinal George Pell appearing in Rome as part of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse.

George Pell offered “implausible” evidence on the criminal behaviour of two pedophile priests, the final royal commission report into institutional sex abuse found.

He also twice failed to act against criminal clergy in his midst, according to the report.

The unredacted royal commission chapters relating to Cardinal Pell chronicle a series of missteps by him dating back to the 1970s, rejecting key evidence in relation to two offending priests.

The reports found Cardinal Pell was aware that one of the world’s worst Catholic offenders — Gerald Ridsdale — was shifted to Sydney from western Victoria in 1982 because of his violent abuse of children.

The commission argued it was “implausible’’ that Cardinal Pell, 78, did not know Ridsdale was being moved because of his child sex offending.

The commission also favoured the evidence of the Victorian Catholic Education Office over the cardinal on the actions of disgraced Melbourne priest Peter Searson and whether or not Cardinal Pell was kept in the dark about some of Searson’s ­bizarre offending.

Cardinal Pell had claimed, despite then being a consultor in the Diocese of Ballarat, that he was unaware that Ridsdale’s ­offending was the reason for sending the abuser to Sydney.

The consultors helped bishop Ronald Mulkearns, now dead, decide when and where to move priests, although the ultimate responsibility was with the bishop.

The commission found on Ridsdale: “Cardinal Pell’s evidence that ‘pedophilia was not mentioned’ and that the ‘true’ reason was not given is not ­accepted.’’

“It is implausible …. that Bishop (Ronald) Mulkearns did not inform those at the meeting of at least complaints of sexual abuse of children having been made.’’

Asked by the commission about moving Ridsdale, Cardinal Pell had said: “I knew nothing about his pedophilia.’’

GRAPHIC: Pell’s lack of action

He hit back on Thursday night, claiming some of the adverse commentary about him in relation to Ridsdale was not supported by the evidence.

The church said: “He is especially surprised by the statements in the report about the earlier transfers of Gerald Ridsdale discussed by the Ballarat diocesan consultors in 1977 and 1982. The consultors who gave evidence on the meetings in 1977 and 1982 either said they did not learn of Ridsdale’s offending until much later or they had no recollection of what was ­discussed.

“None said they were made aware of Ridsdale’s offending at these meetings.’’

On Searson, the commission sided with a senior Catholic Education Office staff member over Cardinal Pell’s claims he had been deceived by the CEO about his offending, which included claims of rape, pointing a gun at parishioners and showing children dead bodies. “Cardinal Pell’s evidence as to the reasons that the CEO deceived him was implausible,’’ the commission found.

The commission also found there was insufficient evidence to support claims by Gerald Ridsdale’s nephew, David Ridsdale, that Cardinal Pell had tried to bribe him over his uncle’s offending to protect the church.

George Pell, right, with Gerald Ridsdale.

The commission was highly critical of Cardinal Pell’s failure to deal with Searson’s offending in the late 1980s, when Searson, now dead, was accused of rape and other serious transgressions.

Cardinal Pell had blamed the CEO and then archbishop of Melbourne, Frank Little, for failing to properly investigate Searson.

“It was incumbent on Bishop Pell, as an auxiliary bishop with responsibilities for the welfare of the children in the Catholic community of his region, to take such action as he could to advocate that Father Searson be removed or suspended or, at least, that a thorough investigation be undertaken of the allegations,’’ the commission found.

“On the basis of what was known to Bishop Pell in 1989, it ought to have been obvious to him at the time. He should have advised the archbishop to remove … Searson and he did not do so.’’

The church said: “As an auxiliary bishop in Melbourne 1987-96, Bishop Pell met with a delegation from Doveton parish in 1989 which did not mention sexual assaults and did not ask for Searson’s removal. Appointed archbishop of Melbourne on 16 August, 1996, Archbishop Pell placed Father Searson on administrative leave in March 1997 and removed him from the parish on 15 May, 1997.”

The commission also found that when Cardinal Pell was archbishop of Melbourne in the mid-1990s he was told another priest, Wilfred Baker, was likely to be charged by police over an historical incident, but Father Baker remained in his North Richmond parish until more than a decade later, when he was charged with a series of child sex offences.

Thursday’s release of the unredacted commission papers comes after Cardinal Pell, 78, was released from jail last month after the High Court ruled 7-0 his way, overturning five sexual assault convictions. He has effectively been the church’s Australian figurehead since he was elevated to archbishop of Melbourne in 1996.

The commission report is unlikely to lead to further criminal action against him, although it may bolster potential civil claims.

It also found that as early as 1973, Cardinal Pell had concerns about Ridsdale’s activities and possible offending in the early 1970s by Brother Ted Dowlan.

Following the abuse of two of her daughters by pedophile priest Kevin O’Donnell, Chrissie Foster has dedicated herself to ensuring children’s safety and exposing cover-ups by the church, a group she says now definitively covers Cardinal Pell.