Monique Patterson

When a priest promised Anne Levey he would help put her young son Paul back on the straight and narrow, she thought her prayers had been answered. Little did she know the reason her 12-year-old son was rebelling was because the priest—Gerald Ridsdale—was sexually abusing him. But the predator—who had offended before—used the woman’s blind faith in the Catholic Church to his advantage. Paul was sent to live with his abuser in the Mortlake presbytery. There he was sexually abused by the priest almost every day for about a year. Years later this secret that haunted Paul’s every waking minute was revealed. But if he thought his nightmare was over, he was wrong. Paul would go on to find out that many high-ranking leaders in the Catholic Church knew Ridsdale was a child molester, and yet they did nothing to stop the evil man from snatching Paul’s innocence and turning his life into a living hell. Sadly, it was a story all too common—the Catholic Church became a playground for paedophiles, a safe haven for them to commit atrocious acts. Now Paul is sharing his story in a bid to end the silence. Retraction On Page 17 there is a factual error. In the second paragraph it should say Paul and other survivors found out that Edward had indecently assaulted a young boy and that Edward pled guilty and was given a 12-month good behaviour bond.

Tyler Dean had the world at his feet in late 2017. The 18-year-old had just signed the contract to begin his dream job as an apprentice panel beater in Geelong, Victoria. He had been working in Geelong and travelling home to Winchelsea each day via train. On October 18, he planned to make the long trip home, but his mother Jeynelle Dean-Hayes asked if he could stay in Geelong. She wanted him to help her and her husband Josh set up some scenes for a short film Josh was working on. Tyler said he was tired and would prefer to go home instead. When Jeynelle and Josh arrived home late that night, Tyler wasn't there. Shortly after they arrived, there was a knock on the door. It was the kind every parent dreads—standing there were two police officers. That was the beginning of their nightmare. Tyler had been hit by a car and been left for dead. Their beautiful son's life had been cut short and the person responsible had kept driving. The grief they felt has never eased and the roadblocks they have faced in their search for justice have simply added to it. Sadly, Tyler Dean is not the only person who has been let down by hit and run laws. This is what spurred Jeynelle and Josh to push for change in Australia. Today, they are advocates for changes in the laws against drivers who flee the scene of an accident. But more still needs to be done, because “car crime is a joke,” according to Jeynelle.

Stephanie Scott had never been happier. She was about to marry the man of her dreams and celebrate with all her family and friends. She had worked for hours to add personal touches to the special day. When her fiancé asked her to head out of town for a party she told him she had a few more things to tick off her to-do list. One was to head into Leeton High School, where she was a teacher, to finalise plans for her replacement while she was on her honeymoon. No one thought twice when Stephanie told them of her plans. No one could predict what would happen that fateful day. No one ever thought that evil could break the heart of a town and a nation. But a psychopath had been hiding in plain sight all along, waiting to make his move. After finishing university, Stephanie Scott moved to Leeton, New South Wales, to take a position as a teacher at the local high school. She and her fiancé were making plans to spend the rest of their lives in the quiet town. Stephanie was a beloved teacher, a source of encouragement and joy for everyone she met. A week before her wedding, she decided to spend a few hours preparing for her replacement while she was on her upcoming honeymoon. When her fiancé and family couldn’t find her later that day or the days following, no one really believed anything could have happened to their cherished friend and teacher. But someone knew where she was, and he would be the last person to see her alive. United in Grief tells the story of Stephanie Scott’s murder and how the town of Leeton and indeed the entire nation of Australia was affected by her disappearance, and the grief that followed such a tragic loss.