So many victims have predeceased Ridsdale. Thoughts, always, with their families, and those who still manage the trauma of what he did to them and the church’s catastrophic failure in creating more victims by allowing him to be moved to yet more parishes.
www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victori...
Thinking of the people of the towns of Mortlake, Edenhope, Swan Hill, Apollo Bay, Warrnambool, Inglewood, Ballarat and others. Of that grim map of the western districts of Victoria and all of the children who lived in those towns who were let down. There are hundreds and that is a national shame.
I just want to say to all of the people I know who were victims of that monster, now dead (& of those who allowed him to keep abusing children for years after they knew): good people have you in their hearts. Thinking of Paul, Steve, Nick, Andrew, the Harrisons, the Currans, to name but a few. ❤️
4. So now, in the interests of justice for all concerned, most particularly vulnerable people, I ask you kindly to refrain from discussing the essay, or the person who is subject of it, here or anywhere. I will block anyone who persists. This is simply to protect people and is vitally important.
5. Be decent, be kind, and let justice take its course. Thank you for all of your support.
As Carmel, a good and wise Ballarat woman said to me:
“There are three things you can’t hide. The sun, the moon and the truth. And you’ve just got to hang on to that.”☀️🌜💪❤️
1. THREAD As journalists, it’s vitally important we abide by laws governing our practice, designed to protect our justice system. A completely unforeseen, unknown development means in order to do this, we’ve temporarily removed a cover story investigation by me of The Monthly and an ABC News story.
Just want to say I am so blown away by the humble, caring, philosophical attitude of men, once little boys, who have so many reasons to be hurt and angry but think of others before themselves. It’s a lesson for people far more powerful & wealthy than them. This stuff keeps me going in this job.
This is being introduced today by crossbenchers. Will be interesting to see how it goes. We at 4 Corners rely on whistleblowers from all walks of life who see poor behaviour/corruption/abuses & cannot stay silent. It leads to law reform/overhall of institutions.
www.hrlc.org.au/news/landmar...
Beyond reasonable doubt is there in a criminal setting because person potentially loses their liberty by going to prison. It makes it difficult to convict in historical cases of institutional abuse because there are rarely any actual witnesses and memory for detail and dates can be compromised.
#Resist, fight for our democracy.
Find your local community independent group, get active and protect Australia.
Democracy is not a spectator sport.
#PeoplePoweredPolitics
#Auspol
www.communityindependentsproject.org
Advancement of religion is not a net positive. It should not be a tax exemption category. Tax churches
If they had even read a single Atlas annual report they could have asked better questions. They label a group of donors as part of the Hayek Club. Do they also support Hayek's push away from democracy and instead towards dictatorship... he advised Pinochet. How about their tobacco donors?
"One of the great tragedies of mankind is that morality has been hijacked by religion. So now people assume that religion and morality have a necessary connection. But the basis of morality is really very simple and doesn't require religion at all."
Arthur C. Clarke
KieranTapsell’s
2024 update on #PopeFrancis refusal to act on Australia’s Royal Commission into #Child #Sex #Abuse recommendations to publish judgements.
#Vatican uses the excuse of ‘office confidentiality’ to cover up clerical abuse & avoid scrutiny.
#Safeguarding #ChildAbuse #Clergy #HolySee
Just caught up with this. Not surprising.
Just want to shout out to people who pluck up the most enormous courage to call out their abuser, who is high-profile, only to be ignored/doubted/vilified/shamed and have their abuser venerated. You are heard.
THREAD To finish 2024, I want to highlight bravery of people who spoke out for our 4 Corners stories this year. By no means an exhaustive list, but blows me away. The ones that really got me are those that didn’t have to do it but chose to because it was the right thing. Give it up for them. 🙌💪❤️
ICYMI, our last #4Corners program for 2024, my story Disconnected about the dangers of #socialmedia, is here. Posting YouTube link as it’s not geoblocked. It’s especially prescient given the US election. Disinformation, threats to democracy and harms to children. m.youtube.com/watch?v=hTYj...
The head of the private schools peak lobby group is truly saying the quiet bit out loud here.
Neary 2 years after a Catholic Priest was convicted of child sexual abuse the Pope removes his clerical status.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Rebel Wilson awarded $4.7m for being called a liar, Geoffrey Rush $2.9m, now Moira Deeming $300k for being call a Nazi sympathiser. Damages based on words.
Why are survivors of years of actual child rape only awarded a fraction of these sort of damages?
www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12...
Watching @Channel9 John Farnham concert in East Timor with soldiers holding local kids. Our relationship with our northern neighbour was never so close, then Alexander Downer came along & destroyed that good will through his personal & corporate greed. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Reason Australia’s technology sector has not felt the “whistleblowing wave” that tore through Silicon Valley & the European Union is because they have seen whistleblowers like David McBride, Richard Boyle, Kitness K & others prosecuted by Australian governments.
www.smh.com.au/technology/t...
Very much looking forward to being there. Our leading event for words and ideas …
www.theage.com.au/culture/book...