Salesian College (Brooklyn Park)

Salesian College was a Roman Catholic school in Brooklyn Park, Adelaide run by the Salesians of Don Bosco. From 1954 it operated as a boys-only school until girls were allowed to enrol in 1978. The school’s boarding section closed in 1984, while the whole school closed in 1996.

The school has been the centre of allegations made against various clergy members who worked or served there. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in its Final Report - Volume 16, Religious institutions Book 2, scrutinised the school and heard from various victims who were allegedly abused at the College. It is important to note that some of these priests/clergy members who worked at the College, have also been convicted of offences dealing with child sexual abuse committed at other Salesian schools such as Salesian College Rupertswood and Salesian College Chadstone (both in Melbourne). Such priests include the following:

  • Father David Rapson was convicted of multiple child sexual abuse offences in November 1992, June 1993 and 2015. The 2015 convictions related to offending that occurred between 1975 and 1990, including five counts of rape and one count of indecent assault in relation to two complainants, between 1988 and 1990;

  • Father Francis Klep who was convicted in December 1994, and again in December 2005, of offences relating to the sexual abuse of children.

  • The Salesians of Don Bosco have also acknowledged the fact that Father Patrick Laws had committed child-sex offences in 1967-68 while he was a senior staff member at Salesian College in Brooklyn Park, Adelaide.

Moody Law is currently representing a client who was sexually abused by Father Patrick Laws at the school and is also currently representing other victims of child sexual abuse by other members of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

We invite former victims, students, teachers, and parents 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.