Massachusetts probe finds 270 Catholic clerics abused 944 children

Scope of the diocesan findings

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell released a 191-page report detailing decades of sexual abuse across the Roman Catholic dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. The investigation found that more than 270 Catholic clerics abused 944 children over more than six decades. The offenses occurred predominantly in the 1960s and 1970s, a period when priests held high standing and trust in local communities, giving them unmonitored access to young parishioners. Diocesan administrators systematically concealed allegations by dismissing complaints, failing to notify police, and quietly reassigning accused clerics to new parishes without warning families. Church authorities also placed accused priests into psychiatric facilities and subsequently returned them to active ministry without supervision, leading several clerics to reoffend in their new assignments.

Obstacles to criminal prosecution

The investigation began in 2019 under then-Attorney General Maura Healey, who is now the governor of Massachusetts, to assess whether diocesan leaders bore responsibility for failing to supervise abusive clergy. The inquiry did not produce new state indictments because the statutory deadlines for criminal prosecution had passed and many accused clerics are now dead. While Massachusetts passed legislation in 2002 that criminalized the reckless endangerment of children and required clergy to report abuse allegations, those provisions cannot be applied retroactively to older conduct. The attorney general's office referred three cases to regional district attorneys during the multi-year inquiry, leading to criminal charges in a single Worcester case.

Survivor testimony and internal secrecy

Investigators reviewed more than 300,000 pages of internal documents and interviewed over 100 individuals, including survivors, attorneys, clergy members, diocesan employees, and canon law specialists. Church officials repeatedly deployed non-disclosure agreements and internal review boards that survivors described as functioning like tribunals to suppress public reporting. One survivor reported being told by church staff that the best way to handle allegations was not to discuss them, while another refused to sign a confidentiality agreement. Campbell, who stated during the presentation that she had experienced child abuse by a relative during her youth, addressed the emotional toll of the protracted process.

“I know many survivors have been waiting a long time to see these findings made public. I understand the frustration that comes with that wait. It is my hope that today is a meaningful step forward toward truth, accountability and healing that survivors deserve.”

Oversight gaps and institutional responses

The findings mark the first public accounting of the three regional dioceses since the 2002 reporting on the Archdiocese of Boston prompted global scrutiny of church practices.

The Diocese of Worcester announced in a formal statement that it would review the findings to identify further improvements in child protection and victim support, while diocesan officials in Fall River and Springfield did not immediately comment. The report concluded that although all three dioceses improved their reporting procedures after the 2002 reforms, structural gaps remain, including the absence of independent oversight over how bishops manage clergy misconduct allegations. Campbell urged church authorities to reform their oversight structures to safeguard children.

“I strongly urge the dioceses and the broader church to take these recommendations seriously and implement greater, meaningful changes to strengthen child protection and improve responses to allegations of abuse.”