Father Roger Michael Bellemore

Father Roger Michael Bellemore was a priest belonging to the Marist Fathers (Society of Mary). He served as a teacher, parish priest, counsellor and chaplain in New South Wales, Tasmania and Western Australia. He served at the following institutions throughout his service with the Marist Fathers:

• Marist College Burnie (Marist Regional College) (1960s - 1972);

• St Anne’s Parish Belmont, Western Australia (late 1970s);

• Holly Spirit College, Bellambi, NSW;

• Edmund Rice College, Wollongong (1980s to early 1990s)

• St Patrick's presbytery (Church Hill), Grosvenor Place, in central Sydney (1995-6);

• Marist Fathers residence in Lane Cove (1997-2002); and

• St Pius X College, Chatswood (2003).

Father Bellemore retired in 2003.

After three trials and an appeal, Father Bellemore (aged 72 at the time) was found guilty in 2008 in the Tasmanian Supreme Court of three counts of maintaining a sexual relationship with a young person under the age of 17 years while he worked as a teacher and priest at Marist College in Burnie, northern Tasmania between 1966 to 1971. He was sentenced to four years imprisonment with a non-parole period of two years, dated back to April 17 2007 to account for time already served when Father Bellemore was originally tried for the crimes. In 2006, he received a five year sentence with a three-year non-parole period which was quashed on appeal by the Marist Fathers.

Moody Law has in the past represented and is still representing clients who were sexually abused by members of the Marist Fathers and by teaching staff and clergy serving at Marist College Burnie.

We invite former victims of Father Roger Michael Bellemore 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.