RI Attorney General publishes comprehensive report on child sexual abuse in the Providence Diocese скачать в хорошем качестве

RI Attorney General publishes comprehensive report on child sexual abuse in the Providence Diocese

RI Attorney General Peter Neronha today published the Office’s Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence. The report, which describes the Diocese’s handling of decades of clergy abuse, is the result of a years-long investigation by the Office of the Attorney General, with assistance from the Rhode Island State Police. The investigation began in 2019 when, as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Attorney General and former Bishop Thomas Tobin, the Diocese agreed to voluntarily produce internal records relating to clergy abuse dating back to 1950. “First and foremost, I want to offer my sincerest gratitude to the many survivors of child sexual abuse who came forward to share their stories for purposes of this investigation,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Each survivor we spoke with recounted unthinkable trauma at the hands of trusted religious leaders, and yet what stood out most was their bravery, resiliency, and commitment to accountability. I also want to honor those who could not come forward, whether due to trauma or because they are no longer with us. We recognize and remember you, as well. “The Diocese would have you believe that this report is historical; that child sexual abuse by clergy members is a thing of the past and not worth drudging up,” continued Attorney General Neronha. “To that I say: the pain that survivors and their families suffer knows no statute of limitations, and history always has something to teach us. Child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence occurred on an abhorrent, staggering scale. And as our report describes, for decades, the Diocese of Providence engaged in a well-worn pattern of protecting the reputation of the Church and its priests over the welfare of children. They failed to report the abuse to civil authorities; they failed to properly investigate those complaints internally; and they failed to remove accused priests from positions where they had access to even more children, who tragically paid the price for those failures. “Instead, the Diocese kept the abuse secret; they hid, and they obfuscated. And while the situation has improved in recent years, there remains work to be done. When my Office asked Diocesan representatives to engage in the investigatory process in person, they repeatedly refused. When my Office requested supplemental documents, they frequently dragged their feet. Their tendency to reflexively turn inward is part of what perpetuated this crisis, and I’m not sure if all of the lessons have been learned. “To this day, survivors of Diocesan clergy abuse continue to come forward, and they deserve justice. As such, we’ve made targeted recommendations to help them obtain that justice, including a recommendation that the Diocese fund an independent compensation program, as many other dioceses have, as well as a recommendation for the General Assembly to expand the statute of limitations for civil claims against institutional defendants. For survivors, and for our future, I urge the Diocese and the General Assembly to implement these and our other proposals. This must never happen again.” As part of the investigation, Office investigators reviewed over 250,000 pages of records produced by the Diocese, including personnel files of accused priests, records of internal investigations into abuse complaints, correspondence involving bishops and other senior Diocesan leaders, “treatment” reports for accused priests, Diocesan policies, and other materials. Importantly, though the Diocese cooperated in producing a large volume of records, which laid bare the deep institutional and personal failures at the heart of this crisis, the investigatory process was also not without roadblocks of the Diocese’s own making. As already mentioned, the Diocese denied the Office’s requests for in-person interviews. Likewise, the Diocese sometimes delayed in responding to requests for documents or information, and in some instances did not answer those requests. Such obstacles unnecessarily delayed the completion of the investigation and, ultimately, limited certain aspects of this report. Nevertheless, the report’s findings regarding the Diocese’s historical responses are clear, tragic, and damning. As a result of the investigation, the Attorney General identified 75 credibly accused clergy, including 61 Diocesan priests and deacons, 13 religious order members, and one extern priest, who reportedly abused over 300 victims from 1950 to 2011. The Office brought criminal charges against four current and former priests for child sexual abuse they allegedly committed while serving in the Diocese. Three are currently awaiting trial and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.