Name

Address

Date

Statement

Beverley Anne LEVEY

Known to the Royal Commission

2 October 2015

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

1. This statement made by me accurately sets out the evidence that I am prepared to give

to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The

statement is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

2. My full name is Beverley Anne LEVEY. I was born in 1942 in Ormond, Victoria. I am now

73 years old.

3. I was born into a very strict Irish Catholic family. My mother was a housekeeper for many

priests in the parish of Ormond, in south-eastern Victoria. She was a very strict Catholic

and growing up we were taught to respect the Church. Priests and clergy were placed in

extremely high esteem. I have been a practicing Catholic all my life and attended church

every Sunday from the day I was born until recently.

4. I met my ex-husband, Geoffrey, in about 1965 and we were married in 1967. We had one

child, Paul, who was born in 1968. We raised Paul as a Catholic and we taught him to

respect the clergy throughout his chi ldhood.

5. In 1980, Paul started attending St Bede's College, Mentone, which was run by the De La

Salle Brothers. We lived in Keysborough at the time.

RIDSDALE

6. In 1980, during Paul's first year at St Bede's, a family friend, Sister Genevieve from the

Presentation Order at Dandenong, introduced us to Father Gerald RIDSDALE ('Gerry').

Gerry was studying at the National Pastoral Institute in Elsternwick at the time.

Signature:·····~·· ··· ·· ····· · · ·· ·· · · ······· ······· Witness: ..... . N .. ~······· ;;·;~~~~;

STAT.0739.001.0001

Statement in the matter of Case Study 28 Statement of Beverley Anne LEVEY continued

Page 2 of 6

7. Sometime in 1980, Sister Genevieve rang me up and asked if Paul and I would like to go

on a trip to the opal fields at White Cliffs.

8. Paul and I went to White Cliffs for two weeks. My husband did not come. We went with

a group of kids and adults, some of whom were members of Gerry's family. There was a

nun from the National Pastoral Institute, Rosemary CRUMLIN, and a couple of Gerry's

brothers and their kids. We all stayed in tents.

9. Gerry spent a lot of time with Paul on that trip but I never thought anything sinister was

happening.

10. After returning to Melbourne from this trip, Gerry became a family friend - he often

visited the family home, usually on a weekly basis, and picked Paul up from school every

now and then. Gerry would take him on different outings, including to the pictures and

the zoo. Paul also occasionally stayed overnight with Gerry at the National Pastoral

Institute on weekends.

11. My husband and I separated in March 1980. At this time, Paul was misbehaving and not

attending school. I pulled Paul out of St Bede's in 1981 as I could not afford the school

fees by myself.

12. Paul then attended Chandler High School for a short period of time. While he was there

he continued to misbehave and did not attend school.

13. I then moved Pau.1 to a local technical school to try and settle him. I thought he was

misbehaving because my husband and I had separated.

14. Throughout this time, Gerry continued to see Paul and used to take him away on

weekends, including another trip to White Cliffs. I thought it was great that Paul was

spending time with Gerry since his father was not around.

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STAT.0739.001.0002

Statement in the matter of Case Study 28 Statement of Beverley Anne LEVEY continued

Mortlake

Page 3 of 6

15. One day in early 1982, Gerry phoned me and said he had just been to the technical school

to get some keys from Paul, but the Principal had told him Paul had not been at school

for two weeks. I was never informed about his truancy.

16. I remember my ex-husband rang me up and said that Gerry RIDSDALE was coming to pick

up Paul. Gerry had offered to take Paul up to Mortlake to live with him. He said he would

put Paul into the Catholic Regional College.

17. Soon after Paul left to go to Mortlake I rang Rosemary CRUMLIN, who had taught Gerry

at the National Pastoral Institute. She was still working there. I rang her and said 'They've

taken Paul off me and he's gone to Mortlake'. She said 'You want to get a solicitor', but it

did not register at that time that I needed to.

18. I spoke to Paul on the phone when he was at Mortlake but I am not sure how often.

19. I remember visiting the presbytery in Mortlake once with my mother. I called Gerry to tell

him I was coming but when I arrived Gerry told me Paul was at the football. I asked Gerry

to go and get him, which he did. When Paul arrived, we all went into the presbytery. Me,

my mother, Paul and Gerry sat around and chatted for a couple of hours. This was the

only time I visited Paul in Mortlake.

20. During the time Paul was in Mortlake my ex-husband called and said that Gerry wanted

the family allowance that I was receiving from the government. I said no.

21. I did not like the situation at all. I was devastated because they had taken my son away.

Paul's father kept saying that it was a good idea for Paul to be at Mortlake. They had no

right to take Paul as I had custody of him. At the time I was still reeling from the marriage

break up and didn't think to call the police.

Signature: ...... &.1::.'.;····· ························· Witness: .....•.. ~ ................... .

STAT.0739.001.0003

Statement in the matter of Case Study 28

Statement of Beverley Anne LEVEY continued

Bishop MULKEARNS

Page 4 of 6

22. Not long after Paul had been in Mortlake, I decided to call the Bishop's office to speak

with the Bishop of Ballarat, Bishop MULKEARNS. When I called the Bishop's office, the

man who answered told me the Bishop was not coming to the phone. I don't think I told

him why I was calling. I kept trying to speak to the Bishop, I think I called three or four

times. Finally I said I would not stop calling until Bishop MULKEARNS spoke to me.

23, When I eventually spoke to Bishop MULKEARNS I said, 'How can you can let a child live in

a presbytery with a priest? That's not appropriate. I want Paul taken out of there'. Bishop

MULKEARNS said there was nothing he could do, as RIDSDALE had Paul's father's

approval. He hung up on me. I don't recall anything else that was said during this

conversation. I had at least another two similar conversations with MULKEARNS but each

time I was ignored.

24. While Paul was still living at Mortlake, I received a call from my brother, Edmond KENNY,

who lived in Towrang. He said, 'Gerry RIDSDALE came here and said that he's having

trouble with you'. I had not spoken directly to Gerry about Paul. I can only assume that

Bishop MULKEARNS told him that I was calling.

25. A few weeks later, I called the Bishop's office again. Again it took several attempts to

reach the Bishop. I called three or four times.

26. When I finally spoke to Bishop MULKEARNS I was angry and upset. Again I said, 'Do you

think it's appropriate that a boy is living at the presbytery with the priest?' He didn't

answer and so I said, '/will get the police involved if you don't do something about Paul

and RIDSDALE'. He hung up on me again.

Paul is moved out of the Mortlake presbytery

27. Soon after my last phone call with the Bishop, Paul was moved from the presbytery to a

local farm in Mortlake with a good family.

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STAT.0739.001.0004

Statement in the matter of Case Study 28

Statement of Beverley Anne LEVEY continued Page 5 of 6

28. Towards the end of 1982 Paul went to live with his father in Sun bury for a short time.

29. There is one incident in particular I have always remembered. This occurred after Paul

moved out of the presbytery and was living in Sunbury. Paul was in hospital after a

trampoline accident, and Gerry came to visit him. Paul said to me, 'Mum I don 't like him

here touching me'. I had seen Gerry touch Paul on the hand. I went to the nurse's station

and said that Gerry wasn't allowed to visit Paul again. I didn't think much of it, although I

noticed that Paul was clearly uncomfortable.

30. In or about 1983, Paul suggested we move to Albury as we had friends up there. We

moved from Keysborough to Albury and I hoped it would give Paul a fresh start.

Unfortunately, Paul continued to go off the rails with school, discipline and authority.

Eventually he left and joined the army.

31. Gerry visited us once more when we were in Albury. He had driven up with his parents

who waited in the car. He only stayed about 15 minutes. This was the last time I saw Gerry.

RIDSDALE arrested

32. It was not until the 1990s when I saw vision of Gerry on television and an interview with

Paul on the 7.30 Report saying he was pressing charges against Gerry that everything

came together.

33. I was devastated, angry and upset and still could not believe this was done to Paul by

someone who everybody respected.

34. Paul and I didn't speak for about three years after this. Our family was broken because of

what had happened.

35. I haven't come forward with this information before now because someone told me a few

years ago that Bishop MULKEARNS was dead. I now know that he is alive and well.

Signature: ........ ~~ ............................... Witness: ....... N.~ .................... .

STAT.0739.001.0005

Statement in the matter of Case Study 28

Statement of Beverley Anne LEVEY continued

Page 6 of 6

36. It has been hell to live with the knowledge that Paul was abused by Gerry. I am constantly

reminded of it every time someone talks about child sexual abuse on the radio, in the

newspapers or on the television. It is especially painful when they are talking about Gerry.

37. I continue to feel guilty and blame myself for not having had my eyes open at the time

the abuse occurred .

Signed: . ... ~ .. : ..... . .. ... .... .

Date: .. ?.: .. :: .. f. .q, .. :~ ... J. .. 9.L -5. .... : .. ............... .... .

Witness: ...... N .. ~ ............................... .

Date: ..... .J./ .. ! .. ~/ .. ~ .. ~ ................................. .

STAT.0739.001.0006