944 children abused by Catholic clergy, Mass. AG says — but no new charges
Summary
The Massachusetts attorney general released a report showing that over 270 Catholic priests were accused of sexually abusing 944 children in three dioceses, but no new charges will be filed. The investigation found that church leaders often covered up abuse by moving accused priests to new places or sending them to treatment, and many cases are too old to be prosecuted.Key Facts
- The report covers abuse allegations in the Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester dioceses in Massachusetts.
- The investigation started in 2019 and reviewed more than 300,000 pages of documents and interviewed over 100 people.
- Most abuse cases happened before 2002, and laws preventing abuse were not retroactive, so no new criminal charges can be made.
- Church leaders transferred accused priests to different congregations without warning parishioners.
- Some accused priests went to psychiatric care but later returned to ministry and allegedly abused again.
- Survivors reported feeling pressured to stay silent or to tell their stories only to internal church investigators, sometimes under non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
- Only the Worcester diocese in Massachusetts still has not published a list of credibly accused priests.
- The report says publishing these lists helps survivors come forward and improves transparency.
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