SOMERVILLE (MA)
Wicked Local Somerville
Somerville —
A Somerville priest accused of sexually abusing a child 7 years ago has been cleared of the charge by the Archdiocese of Boston, but he will no longer minister at his old parish.
The Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Boston concluded claims of sexual abuse involving John E. McLaughlin of St. Benedict’s in East Somerville were “unsubstantiated,” according to a press release. McLaughlin was placed on administrative leave in 2005 and is now assigned the status of Senior Priest, which essentially means he is retired, according to Archdiocese spokeswoman Kellyanne Dignan.
The press release states that “Cardinal Seán O’Malley recognized that this matter took an unusually long time to adjudicate and prays for all persons impacted by these matters.” Dignan said the Archdiocese has examined more than 1,000 claims of abuse since 2002.
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