PROVIDENCE, RI — A newly released,scathing reporton the alleged sexual abuse of hundreds of children by more than 70 Rhode Island clergy members details the measures Catholic leaders undertook to conceal the magnitude of the scandal.
The over 280-page report was released on Wednesday, March 4, by Attorney GeneralPeter Neronhafollowing a yearslong investigation into the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence. The report revealed the number of victims, names and number of clergy members who allegedly abused them, and lengths — more extensively than previously known — to which the diocese went to hide their crimes against children.
"Generations of Rhode Island victims, their families, and others who have suffered the impacts of this trauma deserve to know the truth of what occurred," Neronha wrote in a foreword to hislong-awaited report.
In total, the report identified 61 diocesan priests and deacons, 13 religious order members, and one "extern" priest, as having been "credibly accused" of abusing children. The investigation found that at least 315 children had been victims of clergy abuse since 1950.
In the report, Neronha said the investigation by his office,which began in July 2019, examined more than 250,000 pages of documents, dating back to 1950, voluntarily turned over by the diocese. That included personnel files, treatment reports, and internal investigation records from a "Secret Archive."
From those documents, Neronha said: "We identified at least 13 priests who were accused of abusing over 40 children, under circumstances where it appears the Diocese had some prior notice of [their] possible child sexual misconduct."
"But instead of removing those priests and taking steps to separate them from the priesthood entirely, the Diocese simply transferred them to other parishes (or permitted them to remain at their posts), where they reportedly abused more children," he added.
Today, there are currently 364 priests, 91 deacons, 368 religious sisters, and 66 brothers serving in the diocese. More than 11,700 children attend the diocese's elementary and high schools, according to the diocese.
'Treatment centers'
The report added 20 names to the list of "credibly accused" clergy previously acknowledged by the Diocese of Providence. The report defines "credibly accused" as an "allegation of sexual misconduct perpetrated against a child where there is a reasonable basis to believe that the alleged conduct more likely than not occurred, as determined by the Attorney General."
"In those cases where we were unable to adequately substantiate an allegation of abuse through witness interviews or other information, or where the available information was simply too scant or otherwise impossible to substantiate, we did not name the accused priest," the report said.
The report also named the church-affiliated retreats and "treatment centers" where accused priests, some of whom were never defrocked, were sent for "cures," including the Queen of the Clergy Villa in Escoheag, West Greenwich, and the House of Affirmation in Whitinsville, Massachusetts.
In addition, the report described how the victims were often treated: Told they were liars, subjected to unreliable polygraph tests, and offered financial support for therapy if they agreed to hand over their medical records to the diocesan lawyer, among others, so the church could effectively "listen in."
As of 2022, the diocese was still using a "Special Assignment Fund" to compensate priests who were placed on leave of absence due to allegations of sexual misconduct with children.
Of the 19 diocesan priests on the currentCredibly Accused Listwho received "an evaluation and/or treatment" following one or more allegations of child sexual abuse, 10 were subsequently returned to active ministry.
'Scale of this avoidable tragedy is staggering'
Based on the available records, the report centered much of the blame on Bishop Russell J. McVinney, whose tenure ran from 1948 to 1971, and Bishop Louis Gelineau, whose tenure ran from 1971 to 1997.
According to the report, they "repeatedly [returned] known abusers to active ministry with the tragic yet predictable result that additional Rhode Island children were abused."
"The scale of this avoidable tragedy is staggering: across 70 years, in a state as small as our own the Diocese employed at least 75 credibly accused abuser priests who are accused, and in some cases were found guilty, of sexually abusing and assaulting over 300 victims," the report said.
A single priest, Brendan Smyth, allegedly abused at least 17 children over the course of his three-year ministry in Rhode Island, and another, William O'Connell, allegedly abused more than 20 during his time as a priest, according to the report.
The report went further:
William O'Connell allegedly abused 23 children.
Brendan Smyth allegedly abused 17 children.
Robert Marcantonio allegedly abused 17 children.
Edmond Micarelli allegedly abused 16 children.
Michael LaMountain allegedly abused 12 children.
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The accusations stretch back 75 years
The most recent accusation stemmed from a June 2011 report by the principal atSt. Joseph Schoolin West Warwick to the diocese, alleging that a deacon who taught in his school had pulled down the pants of several sixth-grade boys.
Without any evidence that he talked to any of the boys, the church's compliance officer − retired Massachusetts State Police Detective Robert McCarthy − concluded this was not a "reportable" offense, according to the attorney general's report.
"What sexual assault do you have? What abuse do you have here? What neglect do you have here? You have bad judgment. Bad judgment is not a crime in this state," McCarthy reportedly told the principal.
The school principal nonetheless reported the incident to the Department of Children, Youth & Families, which forwarded the report to the West Warwick Police Department, which "identified several more complainants who made clear this was not an isolated incident of 'pantsing.'"
"Several disclosed that [Deacon Laurence Gagnon] had touched their groins repeatedly, including two who added that Gagnon acknowledged to them his actions could get him arrested or put in jail," the report added.
Gagnon subsequently confessed "to fondling the genitals of several boys," according to the report. He was arrested a few days later and charged with several counts of second-degree child molestation.
In April 2013, Gagnon pleaded no contest to three counts of second-degree child molestation and was sentenced to 10 years in prison with one year to serve.
Report: Concerns with diocese's recent response to abuse claims
In the shocking report, Neronha gave the Diocese of Providence credit for improvement.
After 2002, the report noted that the diocese "generally placed accused priests on administrative leave upon receiving a complaint, prohibited them from ministry while the complaint was investigated, and took steps to permanently remove them from ministry if the Diocese deemed the complaint credible."
Significantly, "the Diocese largely − though not entirely ... stopped the practice of transferring accused priests to new assignments, placing them on 'sabbaticals,' or sending them to 'treatment' in lieu of removing those priests and reporting complaints against them to law enforcement," according to the report.
But, the report said, these improvements have not been "consistently or uniformly implemented." It added that based on the investigation, the attorney general is "convinced ... that more work is needed."
The report also cited concerns with the diocese's recent responses to the clergy abuse allegations, including a "lack of clear written guidelines and other meaningful controls over internal Diocesan investigations of suspected clergy abuse" and the "absence of record keeping" by the diocese's internal review board.
"The Diocese's lack of any policy or practice for monitoring living, credibly accused clergy ... public transparency and survivor supports," according to the report.
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In addition, Neronha noted that the diocese's own2019 "List of Credibly Accused Clergy" remains "deficient." The investigation identified 20 additional clergy accused of child sexual abuse whom the diocese "has not [yet] included on its list, despite being aware of those complaints," the report added.
The list published by the diocese "omits facts essential to a full public accounting of clergy abuse," such as dates and locations of each incident of alleged abuse, and the named priests' full assignment histories, "inclusive of temporary and non-parish assignments," the report said.
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How the diocese handled a recent case
The report questioned if the diocese is even now sufficiently mindful of the kinds of "inappropriate" conduct that should send up red flags. As recently as 2022, the report said, the diocese receivedseveral complaints that an active priesthad inappropriately questioned students about their sexual orientation and sexual activity during confession.
"This was not the first time the priest was accused of questioning children about sexual topics. ... Parishioners had previously complained about similar conduct less than a year earlier at another Diocesan school," the report added.
Shortly after receiving the 2022 complaint, senior diocesan officials spoke with the accused priest, and the diocese released a statement that his "errors in pastoral judgment" had been addressed, according to the report.
"Yet the priest was observed delivering Mass at his local parish the following day, prompting several parents of the children involved in the incident to file a police report," the report says. "The same day the report was filed, the diocese announced that the priest had been placed on administrative leave."
Then-Bishop Thomas Tobin "revoked his faculties," which meant the priest's authority to preach and hear confessions, and "ordered him to participate in ongoing educational training, among other conditions," according to the report.
And less than six months later, the report added, Tobin "returned him to active ministry without advising [his new] parishioners about steps the Diocese took to satisfy itself that the priest did not present any risk of children." Concerned parishioners complained to Tobin, who again removed the priest.
"Though he no longer appears to have a parish assignment, it is our understanding that this priest remains available to fill in or substitute for other priests," the report noted, adding that Tobin's "approach was reminiscent of the 'transfer rather than warn' mentality" of prior decades.
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What living clergy have been credibly accused?
Asked the current status of the credibly accused priests who are still alive, Neronha spokesperson Timothy Rondeau said the following living clergy "have been deemed as credibly accused by the Diocese of Providence and have, to the best of our knowledge, not been laicized," meaning they are still priests but have been suspended, or retired, from active ministry:
"Based on the information we have, at least a number of these priests continue to receive financial support and other benefits (for example, healthcare) from the Diocese," Rondeau said.
According to canon law, and based on information provided by the diocese, bishops have a "Duty of Maintenance" to the priests incardinated in their dioceses. According to the diocese, "this duty obligates the bishops to 'take care that provision is made for their [priests'] decent support and social assistance' which persists unless and until the priest leaves, or is removed from, the clerical state."
Rondeau said that they were not aware whether the diocese supervises or monitors those priests.
Why was the report created?
In an epilogue to the report, Neronha wrote:
"Our investigation confirmed what many victims and their families have long known: for decades, bishops, and other senior leaders of the Diocese of Providence helped conceal child sexual abuse committed by Diocesan priest[s] s at the enormous expense of victims their families and the broader public."
He said the goal from the outset was fourfold:
Provide an account of child sexual abuse by clergy.
Understand the institutional response of the church and diocesan leaders to the abuse.
Identify those perpetrators who may still be prosecuted and bring those cases where legally feasible.
Propose reforms and accountability measures that will help prevent these crimes from recurring.
How has the diocese responded to the report?
In a video response to the report, Bishop Bruce Lewandowski apologized to the victims of clergy sexual abuse, saying that the "church failed them."
"I take this opportunity to apologize to the victim-survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy for the failures of church personnel and others in past decades to protect them and keep them safe," Lewandowski said. "I ask youto pray for them. I am praying for them, and I pledge to continue our support for them through the ministry of our Office of Outreach and Victim Assistance programs."
Speaking about the report, Lewandowski said that "extreme sadness and feelings of intense shame weighed heavily on me as I read the report," and vowed that it must never happen again. He thanked Tobin for "voluntarily" entering into the review by the Attorney General's Office, which produced the report.
He also stated that there are no credibly accused clergy in active ministry, and that there are no contemporary allegations, while reiterating the Diocese of Providence's commitments "to uphold the effective safeguards and protections that have been built up by my predecessors."
"The report statistically shows that these long-standing measures have been very effective," he said. "This commitment is ongoing and is integral to the church's life and mission."
State officials, lawyer react to report
Rhode Island House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi promised a hearing next week on the latest version of House Judiciary Chair Carol McEntee's bill to allow victims to file civil suits against the diocese and any other institution that neglected to stop the abuse they suffered as children, concealed it, or transferred known offenders from one location to another.
"Many victims have suffered immense and irreparable harm due to the actions of those who exercised power and authority over them and the institutions that protected the perpetrators," Shekarchi said.
McEntee said the report was a "long time coming and it should be clear to anyone reading it that the systematic cover-up of this pervasive and appalling behavior is just as bad as the actual assaults of countless helpless children."
"Revealing the truth about this immoral corruption is the first step to delivering real justice for so many victims, and I will continue to support our victims' rights and quest for justice through legislation that will hold both the abusers and the institutions that protected these predators accountable in the courts," McEntee added.
State Senate President Valarie Lawson voiced gratitude for Neronha's "exhaustive work documenting the horrifying abuse that took place across Rhode Island and the repeated institutional failures to protect children."
"I will be reviewing the report, which will provide the Judiciary Committee with important context as they consider the legislative proposals the Attorney General recommends to expand upon the steps we have taken [in the past] to ensure victims can access justice."
Lawyer Tim Conlon, who hasrepresented clergy sex abuse victimsin court in Rhode Island, said the report revealed, in shocking and sometimes excruciating detail, the lengths to which the diocese went "to provide shelter to pedophiles."
"In Rhode Island," however, "unlike many other states, victims seeking relief for the damages sustained as a result of the heinous, systemic misconduct documented in this report, encounter a system of justice that is not only blind, but turns a deaf ear," Conlon said.
Conlon said the Rhode Island Supreme Court has made clear the remedy is legislative action, to allow civil suits by victims against the institutions that failed to protect them.
Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal:Rhode Island priests abused hundreds of children over decades: Report
PROVIDENCE, RI — A newly released,scathing reporton the alleged sexual abuse of hundreds of children by more than 70 Rhod...
