Australia: Gerald Ridsdale — serial abuse convictions across seven court rounds

Proceedings

1. 2017-08-15 · convictions across at least seven court rounds

   Victorian courts, Australia (multiple proceedings 1993–2017). Gerald Ridsdale was convicted across at least seven rounds of proceedings between 1993 and 2017 of sexually abusing more than sixty children, mostly boys, while a chaplain and parish priest. The Royal Commission recorded 78 claims against him — the highest of any individual in its Ballarat data. He died in custody in February 2025.

Documented coercion mechanisms

• parish and chaplaincy authority over children and altar boys
• repeated transfers between parishes