The Massachusetts Attorney General’s office released a comprehensive report on Wednesday detailing widespread child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church across the state. The seven-year investigation, launched in 2019, identified more than 270 clerics who abused nearly 1,000 children over a period spanning more than half a century.
The 203-page document focuses heavily on systemic failures within the Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. It concludes that church leadership engaged in a coordinated effort to conceal predation by shielding accused priests, transferring them to new assignments, and failing to report crimes to law enforcement.
Systemic Concealment and Euphemisms
According to the report, diocesan officials utilized language designed to minimize the severity of the crimes. Terms such as “misplaced affection,” “sentimental attachment,” and “boundary violations” were used to describe sexual abuse. In some instances, particularly within the Fall River Diocese during the 1990s, priests removed from ministry were described as being on “sick leave.”
The investigation found that suspensions were often ineffective. Suspended priests frequently remained unsupervised, and parishioners and fellow clergy were rarely informed of their status. One specific case highlighted in the report involves a Fall River priest accused of abuse in the 1990s. Despite diocesan knowledge of his misconduct by 2006, he was permitted to chaperone youth trips in 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2013.
Disparities in Transparency
The report underscores significant differences in how dioceses handle public disclosure. While over 90 percent of U.S. dioceses publish lists of credibly accused priests, the Worcester Diocese remains the only one in Massachusetts that does not. The Fall River Diocese lists 50 credibly accused priests, 17 of whom are still alive. The Springfield Diocese lists 60 such priests, with eight still living.
Attorney General Andrea Campbell called on church leaders to take full responsibility for these historical failures. She advocated for state laws that would further aid survivors in pursuing legal action. Campbell, who disclosed during the news conference that she is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, characterized the cover-up as a vast, decades-long endeavor.
Survivor Accounts and Legal Response
The report includes testimony from survivors such as Paula Cardoza, 60, who stated she was fondled by a parish priest at St. Patrick’s Church in Wareham when she was 11 years old. Her account reflects the broader pattern of institutional neglect documented in the findings.
Mitchell Garabedian, an attorney who has represented sexual abuse victims for three decades, expressed skepticism regarding the report’s impact on diocesan behavior. He doubts the findings will prompt substantive changes from church officials.
Abuse allegations have continued to emerge well past 2002. A new case surfaced in Springfield earlier this month, indicating that the issue remains current. Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha of Fall River expressed sorrow over the historical failings to protect the vulnerable. Raymond Delisle, a spokesperson for the Worcester Diocese, stated that the diocese welcomes the report and noted that most cases occurred 40 to 60 years ago.