Brother Thomas ("Patrick") Butler

Brother Patrick (whose real name was Thomas Joseph Butler) was born in 1929 and died in 2006. He was a Marist Brother who adopted the religious name of Brother Patrick. Brother Patrick was also known as Brother Patrick Butler. Royal Commission records show that Brother Patrick taught/served at various Marist schools throughout his service with the Order:

• Marist Brothers East Brunswick (1947);

• Marist Brothers Hamilton (1948-1949, 1951-1952, 1963-1964, 1970-1980);

• Marist Brothers High School Mosman (1950);

• Marist Brothers Darlinghurst (1953, 1955-1961);

• St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill (1954);

• Marist Brothers Ashgrove (1962, 1989-2001);

• Marist Brother Eastwood (1965-1967);

• Parramatta Marist High (1968-1969);

• Kogarah Marist High (1981-1988); and

• Marcellin College Randwick (1989).

In relation to Marist Brothers Ashgrove, the Royal Commission heard and revealed in “Report of Case Study No.43 - The response of Catholic Church authorities to allegations of child sexual abuse in the Maitland–Newcastle region” that Brother Alexis Turton, who was the Provincial of the Marist Brothers Sydney Province at the time, had heard complaints of sexual abuse by Brother Patrick committed at the School between 1991 - 1993, but failed to remove him or report him to the appropriate authorities. Consequently, the Royal Commission concluded that the protocols placed at Marist Brothers Ashgrove after receiving such complaints were inadequate and ineffective.

In April 2015, the Marist Brothers Hierarchy also made an official statement in response to an article in the Newcastle Herald, admitting that it had received various complaints about Brother Patrick from students at three Marist Brothers schools and that they only started receiving complaints about him in the early 1990s.

Brother Patrick was committed for trial in Queensland on one charge of indecent treatment of a child in 2002, but the court ruled there was no case to answer for and was discharged on 25 February 2003. He was never convicted of child sexual abuse.

Moody Law has in the past represented and is still representing clients who were sexually abused by members of the Marist Brothers at various schools and institutions.

We invite former victims, students, teachers, and parents to tell us confidentially what information they may have, and we will explain what options are available to help with these cases.

Call us or complete the confidential enquiry form below.