Former Mortlake teacher tells Royal Commission bishop lacked empathy after child sex abuse was revealed

Ann Ryan, a teacher at St Colman's School in Mortlake from 1973 to 1996, revealed a Ballarat bishop lacked “compassion or empathy” when told about disgraced priest’s Gerard Ridsdale’s rampant sexual abuse in the town. 

Mrs Ryan, of Warrnambool, said she was once a staunch Catholic, but the church’s response to child sex crimes had destroyed her trust in people and authority.

During her testimony, Mrs Ryan spoke of a broken community which had to rebuild with no help from the Catholic Church.

Mrs Ryan said she immediately disliked Ridsdale and was increasingly disturbed by changes she observed in children after he began working there in 1981. Ms Ryan said grade five and six boys became absorbed with things of a sexual nature.

"It seemed to me that they were becoming abnormally sexualised, curious about sexual matters,” she said.

Mrs Ryan said she discussed her concerns with then principal, Sister Kate McGrath, who acknowledged them but put them down to early onset puberty.

She said in 1989 a Mortlake mother broke down when telling her Ridsdale had sexually abused her son.

Mrs Ryan said she was devastated and the revelation spurred her to write to Bishop Ronald Mulkearns appealing for help from the church.

Bishop Mulkearns responded by saying it was not possible to enter into correspondence about matters concerning Ridsdale, she said.

He said it was difficult to reach out to people in Mortlake when he'd only heard vague rumours of  "a very general kind".

Mrs Ryan said that response left her reeling.

“I was feeling very angry with the bishop's responses,” she said. “I thought he showed no compassion, empathy or intent to do something to help the victims and their families. In my opinion he seemed to remove himself from his pastoral role as bishop.”

Between 1989 and 1990 she wrote three more letters to Bishop Mulkearns imploring him to “initiate healing” and visit the devastated families in the community.

But the inquiry heard Bishop Mulkearns declined due to "possible legal implications".