Father Brian Davis

Father Brian Davis was a member of the Dominican Friars.  In 1949, he did his final vows and was ordained in 1951.  Father Brian Davis had a very long religious and educational career which included serving and teaching at the following institutions:

  • Dominican Friars school in South Australia from about the mid-1950s;

  • Dean of Mannix College, Victoria in the early to mid-1970’s;

  • St Dominic’s Priory in Melbourne;

  • Parish priest in Newcastle;

  • Blackfriars, Canberra between 1975 and 1978;

  • Priest in charge and Parish Priest of two parishes in Canberra; and

  • Chaplain to the Australian National University between 1983 to 1986 (approximately).

Around 1986, Father Davis withdrew himself from any active ministry role, and in 2004 he was placed on restricted ministry by the Dominican Friars and was latter officially retired in 2004 by the Friars.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse found and published the following information about Father Davis in - Final Report: Volume 16, Religious institutions Book 2. The Royal Commission showed that in 2007 Father Davis had been charged with offences relating to the child sexual abuse of some students during his time in Dominican Friars schools in South Australia in the late 1970’s. Father Davis died in 2007 before he could defend himself against the charges brought against him. However, Catholic Church Insurance (CCI) had determined previously that the Dominican Friars had knowledge of Father Davis’s propensity to offend in approximately December 1960 based on allegations reported by students of the Dominican Friars school at that time. Following this, the Dominican Friars provincial, Father Jerome O’Rorke, moved Father Davis to St Dominic’s Priory with restricted duties.

We invite former victims of sexual abuse by any member of the Dominican Friars to tell us confidentially what information they may have, and we will explain what options are available to help with these cases.

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