More than 270 Catholic clerics were accused of sexually abusing 944 children across three Massachusetts dioceses over several decades, according to an investigation by the state Attorney General’s Office.
The report, released on Wednesday by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, examined the dioceses of Fall River, Springfield and Worcester, documenting what she described as decades of abuse and institutional failures that allowed it to continue for more than half a century.
Most of the abuse occurred before 2002, when a Boston Globe investigation exposed widespread sexual abuse and cover-ups involving Catholic priests in Massachusetts.
The revelations later triggered investigations in dioceses around the world.
The state investigation found that the three dioceses knew that children were being abused by priests and other clerics.
Campbell said, “Too often they protected the reputation of the church rather than protecting children.”
The report identified at least 275 members of the clergy accused of abusing 944 children.
Campbell said, “Behind every one of those numbers is a child whose safety was violated, a family that was changed forever, and a survivor who carried the trauma of that abuse for years and, in many cases, decades.”
The Diocese of Worcester said it would study the report “to identify any additional improvements that can be made to respond to victims of past abuse and to continue to strengthen efforts to keep children safe.”
Fall River Bishop Edgar da Cunha apologised to survivors, saying he was “filled with sorrow over the historical account of incidents and practices reflecting the tragic failings to protect our most vulnerable.”
Meanwhile, Springfield Bishop William Byrne described the report as “humbling”, saying his diocese had been “busy correcting our past failures, putting into place many new, trauma-informed policies and procedures.”
The investigation began in 2019 under then-Attorney General Maura Healey, now Massachusetts governor, to examine whether the three dioceses or their leaders bore responsibility for the supervision of clergy accused of abusing children.
Campbell said her office made three referrals to local district attorneys during the investigation, resulting in charges in one case in Worcester.
However, she said no further prosecutions were pursued because some of the conduct was not illegal when it occurred or because the statute of limitations had expired.
Campbell also called for further reforms, including the removal of the statute of limitations for civil claims involving childhood sexual abuse.
