Father Patrick Laws

Father Patrick Laws was a religious teacher and a member of the Catholic Order, Salesians of Don Bosco Throughout his religious and teaching career, Father Laws taught and served at the various schools. They include the following:

• Salesian College “Rupertswood”, in Sunbury, Melbourne - 1950s;

• Salesian College, Brooklyn Park, Adelaide (as headmaster and rector) - 1960s and early 1970s;

• Salesian community at Port Pirie, South Australia (where the Salesians operated St Mark's College) - 1977;

• St John Bosco College (formerly known as John Bosco High School)as headmaster at Engadine, Sydney - 1978 to 1983; and

• Salesian schools in Melbourne (Salesian College at Chadstone and St Joseph's College at Ferntree Gully) - 1980s.

The Salesians of Don Bosco have acknowledged the fact that Father Laws had committed child-sex offences in 1967-68 while he was a senior staff member at Salesian College in Brooklyn Park, Adelaide. However, it must be noted that Father Laws is not an isolated case within the Salesian Order. Other notable paedophiles within the Order include Father Frank Klep and Father Adrian Wenting who also served/taught at Salesian College, Brooklyn Park.

Moody Law has represented and is still representing clients who were victims of sexual abuse by members of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

We invite former victims to contact us 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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