More than 270 Catholic clerics sexually abused nearly 1,000 children over several decades across three dioceses in Massachusetts, according to a comprehensive investigation released by the state Attorney General’s Office. The report examined the dioceses of Fall River, Springfield and Worcester and documented what officials described as longstanding failures by church leadership to adequately respond to allegations, protect children and report suspected abuse to law enforcement.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell released the findings on September 30, describing the investigation as the first comprehensive public accounting of abuse and institutional failures within the three dioceses. The investigation, which began in 2019, involved the review of more than 300,000 pages of records and interviews with more than 100 people, including survivors, advocates, attorneys, clergy members, diocesan employees and other officials.
The investigation found evidence that the abuse occurred over a period stretching back decades, with some cases dating to the 1950s. Much of the abuse documented by investigators took place before 2002, when a major investigation by The Boston Globe brought widespread attention to sexual abuse within the Catholic Church and the alleged efforts by church officials to conceal it. That reporting led to broader investigations in the United States and internationally and prompted changes in church practices and state laws.
According to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, church leaders in the three dioceses repeatedly failed to act appropriately after receiving allegations or encountering warning signs. Investigators found instances in which priests accused of abuse or identified as offenders were transferred to other parishes without the reasons for those moves being disclosed. In some cases, priests were allowed to return to ministry following treatment without adequate supervision, while restrictions imposed on accused clergy were not consistently enforced. The report also documented instances in which the reasons for removing priests from ministry were concealed and allegations were not consistently reported to police or other authorities.
The findings, according to Campbell’s office, revealed not only individual cases of abuse but also institutional practices that allowed misconduct to continue and, in some instances, placed other children at risk. Campbell said the investigation showed that the dioceses had information about abuse but failed for years to take sufficient action to protect children. She emphasised that the consequences of the abuse extended far beyond the individual incidents, affecting survivors and their families for years and, in many cases, decades.
Despite the extensive findings, the investigation did not result in new indictments. The Attorney General’s Office said it examined whether criminal charges could still be brought in cases identified during the investigation. Some conduct was not criminalised under Massachusetts law at the time it occurred, while other cases fell outside the applicable statute of limitations. Three cases were referred to local district attorneys during the investigation, but the state said the legal limitations prevented further criminal prosecutions arising from the broader inquiry.
The report has also prompted calls for changes to Massachusetts law. The Attorney General’s Office has recommended removing the statute of limitations for civil claims involving childhood sexual abuse and eliminating the state’s $20,000 charitable immunity cap for such claims. It has also called for an indefinite lookback period that could allow survivors whose previous civil claims expired to seek legal remedies.
The investigation also acknowledged that reforms have been introduced since the widespread exposure of clergy abuse in 2002. The dioceses established child-protection and victim-assistance offices, strengthened review procedures, introduced safe-environment training and background checks, and adopted additional procedures for reporting and investigating allegations. However, investigators found that written safeguards were not always followed and that exceptions sometimes weakened the protections intended to keep children safe.
The report has called on the three dioceses to strengthen their systems for receiving and investigating allegations, adopt trauma-informed approaches that put survivors first, consistently enforce restrictions on accused or offending clergy and improve transparency. It also recommends greater public access to information concerning clergy members credibly accused of abuse. The Worcester Diocese was specifically noted as the only diocese in Massachusetts that does not maintain a publicly accessible list of credibly accused clergy.
Church officials have responded to the findings with statements of regret and apologies to survivors. The Diocese of Worcester said it would examine the report to determine whether additional improvements were needed in its response to victims and child-safety measures. Fall River Bishop Edgar da Cunha also apologised to survivors and expressed sorrow over the historical failures described in the investigation.
The Massachusetts investigation adds to the extensive record of clergy sexual abuse scandals that have emerged across the Catholic Church. The 2002 Boston Globe investigation had already exposed widespread abuse and institutional failures in the Boston Archdiocese, leading to criminal investigations, legal reforms and changes in church policies. The latest report extends the examination to three other Massachusetts dioceses and provides a detailed account of how allegations were handled there over many decades.
Campbell said the findings should serve as a reminder that institutional reputation cannot take precedence over the safety of children. Her office has urged the dioceses to implement the recommended reforms and Massachusetts lawmakers to consider further legislative measures aimed at strengthening protections and expanding avenues for survivors to seek justice.
