I have been reading a blog this morning, discussing Bill Spedding's case from Ballarat. It was a blog, so take the info as you will. Thought provoking though.
It was pointing out how the following people were in Ballarat (parish area) during the same time period as Bill Spedding. It was looking for a link.
Father Risddale - mutliple child sex offender (100s, Risdale says), Catholic priest.
Bishop (at the time) George Pell - support person, in court, for Father Risdale. He himself also now charged with multiple child sex offences.
Father John Nester - multiple child sex offender, Catholic priest.
Bill Spedding - now up on child rape charges from over 30 years ago in Ballarat.
Believe it or not, Tony Abbott - former PM - also lived there at the time (went to school/college there?), knew Father Nester well apparently, and gave him a personal reference in a child sex abuse case. He also knew George Pell well, at the time, which we also know from his close relationship with him while PM.
(The blog supplied MSM links for all the above info)
I can't link the blog here, I don't think, but I can link this opinion piece from The Age about Risdale, Pell & co.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/06/13/1023864324376.html
ETA: I fell into reading all this as I was looking for court info on Spedding.