Law firm calls out for witnesses over Catholic paedophile Gregory Coffey

Former brother and Catholic teacher Gregory Coffey is believed to have died in Tasmania after molesting boys for decades interstate - a law firm is now calling for witnesses.

A LAW firm has called out for witnesses to speak about the now-deceased Gregory Vincent Coffey – a prolific paedophile and Catholic brother believed to have died in Tasmania.

According to the Broken Rites website, Coffey planned to be ordained as a Salesian order priest and work at Dominic College in Glenorchy during the 1970s – an appointment that never eventuated due to criminal charges interstate.

He worked at – and abused children – at Catholic schools in Melbourne and South Australia, with a number of convictions before his death.

After the abuse as a trainee Salesian priest, Coffey was employed as a teacher – then principal – of Melbourne school, Immaculate Heart College in Preston, during the 1970s and 1980s.

The Marist Brothers are currently being sued in Victoria by survivors after allegedly appointing Coffey despite having knowledge he’d been abusing boys.

Gregory Vincent Coffey and his wife leaving the Victorian County Court after he received a suspended sentence for sex offences.

Ken Cush & Associates, a law firm based in Canberra, is representing the two plaintiffs, who were both abused by Coffey as boys.

The firm has issued a call-out for witnesses to speak about Coffey, who lived and worked across South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania from the 1960s to the 1990s.

Broken Rites also says Coffey’s birth surname was Coffin before he changed it, and that he died in Tasmania more than a decade ago.

The Herald Sun reported in 1997 that Coffey was successfully sued by two of his school victims, with a judge describing his crimes as “abhorrent, disgusting and repulsive” and “a gross breach of trust”.

Any witnesses able to assist is asked to call Brianna Nicholls on [phone] or email [e-mail]

Follow @ambervwilson

Originally published as Law firm calls out for witnesses over Catholic paedophile Gregory Coffey