Abuse royal commission: survivor in Rome to give voice to unspeakable

Paul Levey is a survivor of abuse by notorio­us paedophile Gerard Ridsdale, and is in Rome to hear George Pell speak.

Clergy abuse survivor Paul Levey at the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

Paul Levey tied the first of what he hopes will be many colourful ribbons around the iron railings at the Trevi Fountain yesterday as part of moves to highlight the plight of abuse victims.

A Chinese tour group member pointed to a small laminated card attached to the ribbons. It was a note explaining the support movement called Loud Fence, encouraging people to tie their own ribbons to speak out about clergy assault.

Mr Levey, 47, and his partner, Michele East, have travelled to the heartland of the Catholic Church to watch Cardinal George Pell give evidence to the royal commission via a video link from the Quirinale hotel, starting this morning Australian time.

Most importantly, they have secured a private meeting with Cardinal Pell on Thursday in addition­ to the Cardinal’s meeting planned with a group from Ballarat earlier in the week.

“I’ll be very pleased to meet them, very pleased,” Cardinal Pell said as he got into a car outside his house near the Vatican yesterday.

Mr Levey is a survivor of months of abuse by notorio­us pedophile Father Gerard Ridsdale after he was taken in by Ridsdale as a 12-year-old in Ballarat’s Mortlake presbytery from Easter to October 1982 when his parents separated.

Mr Levey and Ms East arrived in Rome yesterday with a sign saying simply “Loud Fence Ballarat’’ but have been warned by Vatican officials that they will be arrested if they display what the Vatican says is a form of protest.

Instead, around the Italian capital, Mr Levey wears a black polo shirt, “that represents abuse victims who have died’’, with blue writing “that represents the living victims’’. It says: “We Support Survivors Of Clergy Childhood Sexual Abuse’’. His cap carries the Ballarat survivors’ motto: “No More Silence’’. And they are armed with the ribbons to ensure their presence is marked.

The couple funded their own travel and arrived separately to the group of 20 survivors and supporters from Ballarat who were supported by a gofundme appeal and proceeds of the Tim Minchin song about Cardinal Pell.

They had decided to make the trip as soon as Cardinal Pell announc­ed he would give his ­evidence via video link but the journey had to be staggered and broken with several­ days in the Middle East because of permanent injuries Mr Levey suffered in a serious car ­accident nearly two years ago.

The impact of that crash means he is at high risk of deep-vein thrombosis.

Mr Levey, a diabetic who walks with the aid of a stick, said: “It’s a joke. I mean, I can get over here with my medical conditions, but he can’t get to Australia?

“I can’t understand why the Pope hasn’t said or done anything either. I am sure Pell could have taken a few heart pills and slept in first class and arrived bright-eyed and bushy tailed.’’

The couple want to tell Car­din­al Pell Mr Levey’s story and to convince the Vatican to fund counselling support services for victims of sexual abuse.

Mr Levey wants to establish a mirror group to the Ballarat Men’s Support Group in his area of Sunbury in Victoria, and then across the nation.

“We can’t go much higher,’’ he said. “Cardinal Pell being Australia’s highest-ranking Catholic, that is where the buck stops. This is it.’’

Mr Levey can remember seeing Cardinal Pell arrive for the 1993 court hearing when Ridsdale was first charged, supporting him, and was shocked that a promin­ent member of the church was supporting a pedophile.

“But it wasn’t only Pell — there were nuns and priests who gave Ridsdale character references saying how great he was, and how popular with the boys he was, taking them to camps. Yeah, and that’s where he abused the boys.’’

Ridsdale has since been convicted of 138 offences against 53 victims, but Cardinal Pell, who shared a house with him when they were junior priests, has denied­ all knowledge of his activities. However, some of the evidence given to the commission has contradicted his claims.

At the Albergo Quirinale, some of the survivors plan to wear T-shirts saying, “Some don’t rememb­er, Some don’t forget’’.

No one needs a plastic card to deciphe­r that message.

Last night AEDT Cardinal Pell missed delivering his usual Sunday mass at the Domus Australia in Rome, but he was in the thoughts of the small congregation.

Father Terence Bell twice mentioned Cardinal Pell by name during his saying of mass at the Domus in the middle of Rome. The cardinal often gives mass there, which is the Australian Catholic Church’s presence in Rome, but this gtime he was preparing for his appearances before the commission via video link.

Father Bell said in his opening remarks that he prayed for Cardinal Pell. Then during the service’s prayers he alluded to the battering the church had received in light of the clergy sexual abuse. He said: “We pray especially for Cardinal Pell, and in particular the future of the church. The truth will set us free, we must look forward not back.”

But only five people were at the Domus mass to hear and offer prayers for Cardinal Pell.