Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
1940-2002 · 62 years · show in timeline

Sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston (Attorney General's report 2003)

From 2002 the Attorney General of Massachusetts investigated abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston. According to church records at least 789 victims had come forward, from all sources together probably over a thousand; 237 priests and 13 other employees were accused, over six decades and under three archbishops. The archdiocese did not report the acts to the police, moved perpetrators to new parishes and paid over 17 million dollars to victims by 2000, before the public learned of it. According to the report, Cardinal Bernard Law, archbishop from 1984 to 2002, knew the extent and decided on the transfers himself. Under the law of the time this was not a criminal offence.

Period
1940-2002 (62 years)
Report published
23 July 2003
Country
United States
Institutions
Archdiocese of Boston
Category
Sexual abuse, Cover-up
Level of evidence
A Primary source · what does this mean?
Persons
Bernard Law (Cardinal, Archbishop of Boston 1984 to 2002)
John Geoghan (priest of the Archdiocese of Boston)
Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, cathedral church of the archdiocese, historical photograph by Leon H. Abdalian
Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, cathedral church of the archdiocese, historical photograph by Leon H. Abdalian Image: Abdalian, Leon H., 1884-1967, Public domain, Source

What happened to the people

Who was affected? Victims and numbers

  1. According to the records of the archdiocese, at least 789 victims had come forward directly to it; with other sources probably over a thousand, plus an unknown number who never speak. The abuse extends from the 1940s to 2000; most of the acts reported fell in the 1960s and 1970s.
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Background C, S. 11 f.
    „Records produced by the Archdiocese reveal that at least 789 victims (or third parties acting on the behalf of victims) have complained directly to the Archdiocese“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Background C, S. 11 f.. Original
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Background C, S. 12
    „the number of alleged victims who have disclosed their abuse likely exceeds one thousand“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Background C, S. 12. Original
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Background C, S. 12, Tabelle
    „1970-1979 282 victims“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Background C, S. 12, Tabelle. Original
  2. At least 237 priests and 13 other employees of the archdiocese were accused; 48 of them are alleged to have abused during Cardinal Law's tenure.
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Background C, S. 13
    „allegations of sexual abuse of children have been made against at least 237 priests and thirteen other Archdiocese workers“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Background C, S. 13. Original
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Background C, S. 13
    „with the other forty-eight allegedly abusing children during Cardinal Law’s tenure as Archbishop of Boston“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Background C, S. 13. Original

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. As a rule, the archdiocese did not report allegations of abuse to the police or child protection services, not even when priests continued to abuse children despite church measures. During Cardinal Law's tenure it approached the authorities of its own accord only twice.
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Finding 3.3, S. 52
    „it steadfastly maintained a practice of not reporting allegations of sexual abuse of children to law enforcement or child“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Finding 3.3, S. 52. Original
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Finding 3.3, S. 53
    „the Attorney General’s investigation revealed only two instances during Cardinal Law’s administration when the Archdiocese affirmatively reached out to law enforcement“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Finding 3.3, S. 53. Original
  2. Under Cardinal Law accused priests were almost always merely transferred. In 1989 an auxiliary bishop did not disclose to an investigating prosecutor in the case of the priest John Geoghan everything the archdiocese knew about his earlier acts.
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Finding 3.9, S. 68
    „During Cardinal Law’s tenure, priests accused of sexually abusing children were transferred in almost all instances to new residential, ministerial, or administrative assignments“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Finding 3.9, S. 68. Original
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Finding 3.4, S. 35
    „Bishop Banks failed to provide full information then known to him and the Archdiocese about Geoghan’s past history of child sexual abuse“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Finding 3.4, S. 35. Original
  3. Under the law of the time it was not possible to charge the archdiocese or its leadership; the Attorney General nevertheless calls the conduct unquestionably wrong.
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Brief des Attorney General, S. 2
    „although this Office is unable to charge crimes, the conduct of the Archdiocese and its senior managers was undeniably wrong“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Brief des Attorney General, S. 2. Original

What happened to those affected?

  1. The Geoghan case: in 1980 it was reported that he had abused several children of one family; after treatment he was assigned to a new parish in 1982. In 1984 a relative of the children complained to Cardinal Law; Geoghan was transferred to another parish although the responsible bishop warned against it in writing. Diagnosed as a paedophile in 1989, he returned to the same parish after six months.
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Finding 3.6, S. 59 f.
    „In February l980, the Archdiocese received a report that Father Geoghan had sexually abused several children in one family“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Finding 3.6, S. 59 f.. Original
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Finding 3.6, S. 60
    „complained to Cardinal Law that Father Geoghan was still assigned to a parish despite his history of abuse“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Finding 3.6, S. 60. Original
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Finding 3.6, S. 60
    „Just six months after going to St. Luke and being diagnosed as a pedophile, Father Geoghan was reassigned to the same parish in Weston“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Finding 3.6, S. 60. Original

Background

Why? Justification and motives (according to the sources)

  1. For decades cardinals, bishops and other leaders preferred to protect the image and reputation of their institution rather than the safety and well-being of the children; they believed they were accountable only to themselves. The report speaks of an institutional acceptance of abuse.
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Brief des Attorney General, S. 2 f.
    „chose to protect the image and reputation of their institution rather than the safety and well-being of children“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Brief des Attorney General, S. 2 f.. Original
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Brief des Attorney General, S. 3
    „They acted with a misguided devotion to secrecy and a mistaken belief that they were accountable only to themselves“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Brief des Attorney General, S. 3. Original
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Brief des Attorney General, S. 2
    „the widespread abuse of children was due to an institutional acceptance of abuse and a massive and pervasive failure of leadership“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Brief des Attorney General, S. 2. Original

Who received the assets, who profited?

  1. By June 2000, a year and a half before the public learned of the extent, the archdiocese had received complaints from 402 victims against 191 priests and had paid over 17 million dollars in settlements.
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Finding 3.1, S. 29
    „the Archdiocese already had received complaints from 402 victims alleging sexual abuse by 191 priests and had expended more than $17 million to settle victim claims“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Finding 3.1, S. 29. Original

Response of the Church

  1. According to the report, Cardinal Law bears ultimate responsibility: he knew the scope, duration and seriousness, decided himself on the assignments of abusive priests, which mostly increased the risk to children, and knew or should have known that the policies were wholly inadequate. He resigned in December 2002.
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Finding 3.1, S. 30
    „He had direct knowledge of the scope, duration and severity of the crisis experienced by children in the Archdiocese; he participated directly in crucial decisions concerning the assignment of abusive priests, decisions that typically increased the risk to children“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Finding 3.1, S. 30. Original
    Evidence: Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Finding 3.1, S. 30
    „Cardinal Law was the Archbishop of Boston from March 1984 until he resigned in December 2002“
    The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Finding 3.1, S. 30. Original

See also

Original documents to read

  1. Government report
    Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts: The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, 23 July 2003. Original (retrieved 11 Oct 2026)
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Last changed on 22 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.