Massachusetts: Attorney General's Office report on 900 cases of clergy abuse

The attorney general's report implicates 275 members of the clergy and accuses church leaders of ignoring reports, transferring accused priests and failing to report cases to the authorities

An investigation by the Massachusetts Attorney General documented nearly 900 cases of alleged child sexual abuse over seven decades, involving 275 clergy members from three Catholic dioceses in the state: Worcester, Springfield and Fall River. The results are contained in a report of almost 200 pages, which highlights how the real scope of the phenomenon could be even wider due to complaints never filed and the possible destruction of documents. ABC News reports.

The accusations against the leaders of the dioceses

According to the investigation, the leaders of the three dioceses were aware of the abuse, but "did not take effective measures to prevent it" or examine the institutional responsibilities that led numerous children to become victims of priests. Attorney General Andrea Campbell talks about decades of inadequate responses to reports and warning signs.

Priests transferred and charges not reported

The report alleges that priests accused or believed to be responsible for abuse were transferred to other parishes without explaining the reasons for the moves. In other cases, members of the clergy returned to ministry after therapeutic courses without adequate supervision. The dioceses also allegedly failed to report many allegations to law enforcement.

Years of investigations and over 300 thousand documents examined

The investigation, launched in 2019, collected the testimonies of around one hundred people and analyzed over 300 thousand documents. Investigators examined the files of nearly 300 members of the clergy, including those from so-called "secret archives", as well as court documents, police reports and internal diocese documentation.

Little margin for new criminal actions

The attorney general's office has not identified the basis for new criminal prosecutions. Many of the incidents that emerged date back to a period prior to the 2002 law which extended the obligation to report child abuse to the clergy as well. Furthermore, numerous cases have been barred, while those potentially still prosecutable have been forwarded to the competent district attorneys' offices.

The omissions of local institutions and media

The report also includes testimony that some police departments ignored the allegations. In some cases, according to the victims, the dioceses managed to convince local newspapers not to publish news about the abuse and prosecutors not to prosecute. The prestige of religious leaders and the fear of damaging the family reputation also contributed to hindering the reporting.

The reactions of the dioceses

The dioceses of Worcester and Fall River have expressed sorrow for what happened and assured that, since 2002, all reports have been forwarded to the competent authorities. Both confirmed that they will examine the report to strengthen protection of minors and support for victims.