Ray Hadley slams columnist Andrew Bolt as ‘soft on paedophiles’ in fiery on-air spray – after Sky News host apologised to victim for ‘minimising’ how an athletics coach preyed on him
- The 2GB and 4BC broadcaster launched a furious attack on Andrew Bolt today
- Bolt has apologised for saying child grooming victim Paris Street was ‘hit on’
- In fiery Friday rant, Hadley described Bolt as ‘bloody well soft on paedophiles’
- News Corp columnist has been a steadfast supporter of Cardinal George Pell
- But Bolt says he only supports Pell because he is convinced of his innocence
Talkback radio host Ray Hadley has sensationally accused conservative columnist and broadcaster Andrew Bolt of being ‘soft on paedophiles’ in an on-air rant.
Bolt was accused of ‘minimising’ the grooming suffered by Paris Street, a student at the Melbourne school, St Kevin’s College, which was the subject of an ABC expose.
The News Corp Australia columnist has apologised for a segment where he said convicted sex offender athletics coach Peter Kehoe ‘hit on a boy at that school. No sex occurred’.
Mr Street wrote a viral open letter saying his experience had been ‘trivialised’ in Bolt’s recent interview with Sydney Institute founder Gerard Henderson.
2GB and 4BC broadcaster Ray Hadley launched a stunning attack on News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt on Friday, claiming he is ‘soft on paedophiles’
Andrew Bolt has apologised to St Kevin’s College student Paris Street (right) over a segment this week where Street’s grooming by a school coach was allegedly ‘minimised’
Despite an on-air apology by Bolt to Street on Thursday, 2GB broadcaster Hadley attacked Bolt on his morning show on Friday morning.
‘You bloody well are, you bloody well are soft on paedophiles,’ Hadley claimed.
‘Mr Bolt, criticism of me by you is water off a duck’s back,’ he said.
‘You do a lot of good in the community, but by crikey, when it comes to paedophilia, you’ve got a very poor record, – a very poor record.’
‘Mr Bolt has a history of defending people who are convicted of paedophilia. He has a history of it!
‘Even when appeals are denied – he has a history of it.’
Hadley is an apparently referring to Bolt’s defence of Cardinal George Pell.
The former Vatican treasurer has been convicted of child sex offences and his first appeal, to Victoria’s Court of Appeal, was refused.
Pell has been granted leave to appeal to the High Court.
Controversy: The headmaster of St Kevin’s College in Melbourne resigned following revelations he penned a character reference for the athletic coach who groomed Paris Street
Bolt said this week that he is defending Pell only because he believes the Cardinal is innocent.
‘If I really thought George Pell was a paedophile, I’d go for his throat … I think you know I don’t put up with that kind of crap,’ he said.
‘None of us defend paedophiles, and nor do I defend some creep who grooms a child, tries to seduce him – of course I don’t, what planet are my critics on to think that I would?
‘The only thing I defend is justice, and a fair go.’
Bolt said he was ‘really sorry’ to Mr Street and said: ‘I regret it, I’ve spent every hour since thinking about it, and I hate what happened.’
Daily Mail Australia contacted Andrew Bolt for comment.