Media Release

Road to Recovery
May 12, 2014

http://www.road-to-recovery.org/

Retired Archbishop of Hartford, CT, Daniel Cronin, who is also the former Bishop of Fall River, MA, is being sued in Connecticut by two clergy sexual abuse victims from the Fall River, MA Diocese that Archbishop Cronin led as bishop for over twenty years

Fall River, MA priest, Msgr. Maurice Souza, sexually abused boys in CT, MA, and elsewhere

Hartford, CT, retired Archbishop Daniel Cronin, when Bishop of the Diocese of Fall River, MA, negligently supervised Msgr. Maurice Souza, allowing him to sexually abuse at least two minor-aged boys for approximately a decade

What: A press conferences announcing the filing of a lawsuit against retired Hartford CT

Archbishop Daniel Cronin who is also the former Bishop of Fall River, MA, and the Diocese of Fall River, MA, on behalf of two clergy sexual abuse victims.

When: Tuesday, May 13, 2014 at 11:00 AM

Where: On the public sidewalk in front of the headquarters of the Diocese of Fall River, MA, located at 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA 02720 – 508-675-0211

Who: Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D., President of Road to Recovery, Inc., a non-profit charity that assists victims of sexual abuse and their families and advocate for the plaintiffs in this case; other survivors of clergy sexual abuse, and supporters.

Why: Former Fall River, MA Bishop and retired Hartford, CT Archbishop Daniel Cronin was the supervisor of Msgr. Maurice Souza when he was a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, MA. Msgr. Souza sexually abused two children, approximately 9 to approximately 17 years of age, from St. Anthony’s Parish in East Falmouth on Cape Cod. The young boys were taken to Connecticut and Massachusetts for athletic events and other reasons and were sexually abused in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Archbishop Cronin, when he was Bishop of the Diocese of Fall River, MA, is accused of reckless supervision, negligent battery, negligent infliction of emotional distress, breach of fiduciary duty, and other counts because Archbishop Cronin failed to protect children in the Fall River Diocese and beyond.

Contacts: Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D., Road to Recovery, Inc. – 862-368-2800 Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, Boston, MA – 617-523-6250