BOSTON (MA)
Boston Herald [Boston MA]
August 2, 2023
By Rick Sobey
A year after the Massachusetts attorney general’s office told advocates that a report on clergy sex abuse was nearly complete, the investigation has still not been published as activists push for the “disappearing report” to come to light.
The advocates have been in the dark since last August, when then-AG Maura Healey’s office reportedly promised that the investigation into the Worcester, Springfield and Fall River dioceses had wrapped up — and that the report was about to cross the goal line.
But Healey’s office never released the report before she became governor, and new AG Andrea Campbell’s office has not published the report.
“It’s become this kind of disappearing report,” Terry McKiernan, president of Bishop Accountability, recently told the Herald.
“These reports are incredibly important and validating for survivors,” he later added. “And when you sit down with survivors to talk about these terrible things, I think you have a responsibility to follow through.”
New England Public Media first reported this from advocates.
In 2003, the Bay State AG at the time released a report on clergy sexual abuse within the Boston Archdiocese. Two decades later, a report on the other local dioceses has still not been published.
In other parts of the country, these investigations and reports have led to public lists of accused priests and criminal charges.
“It means that those priests are not going to be a danger to children anymore because this is all out in the open,” McKiernan said.
The interim executive director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) said the group’s advocates in Massachusetts have been contacted a number of times over the years for the investigation into the dioceses.
“But it seems as though it went dormant, and it’s really concerning given the results of other statewide investigations,” Michael McDonnell told the Herald.
For the investigation, survivors have had the “inner strength and courage to step forward,” he added.
A spokesperson for Healey declined to comment when asked why this report was never published while the current governor was AG, and the spokesperson referred the Herald to the current AG’s Office with Campbell at the helm.
A spokesperson for Campbell said in a statement, “While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, the Attorney General’s Office will always center survivors in our work. The decades of sexual abuse by Catholic priests across Massachusetts have caused tremendous generational pain and trauma. We are committed to using every available tool to further transparency and accountability and to support the healing of survivors.”
A spokesperson for the Worcester Diocese said in a statement, “As a matter of policy we cooperate with any and all civil and criminal investigations. For example, since 2002, we have reported every allegation of sexual abuse of a minor since we were founded in 1950 and continue to report every allegation we receive to the District Attorney for Middle District, whose office covers almost all of our Diocese.”
A spokesperson for the Springfield Diocese said in a statement, “It is the policy of the Diocese of Springfield to fully cooperate with authorities investigating cases of alleged abuse or other matters. The diocese has a joint memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the three district attorneys’ offices whose jurisdictions cover western Massachusetts. The MOU dictates that allegations of sexual abuse are first investigated by law enforcement, before the diocese conducts an investigation.”
The Fall River Diocese did not immediately respond to comment.
Rick Sobey is a multimedia, general assignment reporter — covering breaking news, politics and more across the region. He was most recently a reporter at The Lowell Sun. Rick is a Massachusetts native and graduated from Boston University. While not reporting, he enjoys long-distance running.