Father Guy Hartcher

Father Guy Hartcher (whose real name was Guy Norman Hartcher) was a former member of the Vincentian Fathers and Brothers, formally known as the Congregation of the Mission. Father Hartcher spent all of his religious life with the Vincentian order serving/teaching at the following schools/institutions:

  • St Stanislaus College - Bathurst, NSW (approximately 1971 to 1974);

  • Holly Cross College (a Catholic seminary) - Dunedin, New Zealand (late 1970s to 1980s);

  • St Francis Xavier Seminary - Adelaide, South Australia (around 1994); and

  • Gresford-Dungog Parish - Maitland-Newcastle Diocese, NSW (approximately 1999 to 2004).

In 2004, the Trustees of the Vincentian agreed to pay compensation out of court to a former student of St Stanislaus College for allegations of sexual abuse against Father Guy Hartcher committed in 1971. The Vincentians agreed pay around $40,000 to the victim and was made to sign a deed without any admission of liability. Furthermore, the deed prevented him from seeking further compensation and from pursuing further action against the Vincentians. The compensation was paid in relation to criminal proceedings that took place in the NSW court system in Sydney and Bathurst between 1994 to 1997 where the student was one of two complainants who made allegations against Father Guy Hartcher.

As consequence of the allegations, the Vincentian order apparently laicised Father Guy Hartcher from his duties in 2004 but it was reported in the media in 2006 that Father Guy Hartcher had conducted a funeral service in the last parish he was appointed to. In 2014, it is reported that he was living in retirement at a home for Vincentian priests in St Vincent’s Parish in Ashfield, Sydney.

Moody Law has in the past and is still representing clients who have made allegations of sexual and physical abuse against members of the Vincentian Fathers and Brothers. We are also currently representing a client who has made allegations of sexual and physical abuse against Father Guy Hartcher while he was a student at St Stanislaus College.

We invite former victims 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.