Father Paul Chris Pavlou

Royal Commission records indicate that Paul Pavlou was born in April 1959 in Australia to a family of Greek Cypriot origin. The third of six children, he grew up in the suburbs of Melbourne and attended the following schools:

  • East Burwood Primary School;

  • Richmond and Syndal High School;

  • Monash University - (one year of engineering); and

  • Frankston State College (Diploma of Teaching - Primary - majoring in P.E. and Social Science) in 1981.

After Mr. Pavlou obtained his teaching qualifications, he began teaching in the public system in Melbourne. He taught initially at Hallam and Mount Waverely primary schools. He later obtained a Bachelor of Theology through the Catholic Theological College in Melbourne, becoming a Brother in the Salesians of Don Bosco Order. He then taught as Brother Pavlou at St Joseph’s Regional College in the Melbourne suburb of Ferntree Gully, a school ran by the Salesians.

In 2004, he became ordained as Priest and served/worked for the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne at the following locations/parishes:

  • Croydon - Assistant Priest at Sacred Heart Church (2004); and

  • Healesville - Administrator/Acting Priest in Charge (2005).

Royal Commission records indicate that in October 2006, a complaint was against Father Pavlou by a mother of a 14 year old boy. Initially the complaint was made to the Archdiocese who place Father Pavlou on sick leave. Later, the mother reports the allegations to Victoria Police who interview Father Pavlou, check his computer, and retrieve deleted child pornography. In 2009, Father Pavlou pleads guilty to charges of performing an indecent act with a child under 15 and knowingly possessing child pornography. He was given an 18-months suspended sentence plus a two-year community-based sentence.

In 2016, Father Pavlou faced further charges in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, charged with four counts of sexual penetration of a child under 16 and four counts of indecent act with a child under 16. The alleged acts occurred in regional Victoria in 2003 and 2004. At the time Pavlou was studying for the Priesthood, when he offered ‘respite’ to a friend’s family whose friend had terminal cancer. Pavlou, however, offered his comfort as a man of the cloth as an opportunity to rape his friend’s 12 year old son on three occasions. In 2019, Pavlou pleaded guilty in the Melbourne County Court to three counts of sexual penetration of a child under 16. At the time, Pavlou (who was 59 years old in 2019) had already served 203 days in custody and had to seven another seven years in jail before being eligible for release.

Moody Law has in the past represented and is still representing clients who were sexually abused by clergy members serving for the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.

We invite former victims of Father Paul Pavlou 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.