Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
1950-2026 · 76 years · show in timeline

Massachusetts 1950 to 2026: Attorney General counts more than 900 victims in the Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield and Worcester; the dioceses actively covered up to protect the Church's reputation

From 2019 the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office investigated how the Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield and Worcester dealt with abuse allegations against clergy; the report appeared on 30 September 2026. It reviewed more than 300,000 pages and documented more than 900 victims of priests, bishops, deacons and nuns over more than half a century. According to the report church decision-makers knew that scores of children were being abused by a substantial number of priests, did not take effective action and actively covered up to protect the Church's reputation. Perpetrators were transferred without warning and police were not informed. Because of the statute of limitations none of this can be prosecuted. Even after 2002 accused priests sometimes remained in ministry for years.

Period
1950-2026 (76 years)
Country
United States
Institutions
Diocese of Fall River
Diocese of Springfield
Diocese of Worcester
Category
Sexual abuse, Cover-up
Level of evidence
A Primary source · what does this mean?

What happened to the people

Who was affected? Victims and numbers

  1. For more than half a century and under several successive bishops, clergy in the three dioceses sexually abused children. The investigation documented more than 900 victims of priests, bishops, deacons and nuns; the true scope may be even greater. According to the report the abuse was widespread and due in large part to an institutional failure of church leadership.
    Evidence: Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I. Executive Summary, S. 4
    „For more than half a century, and under the leadership of multiple successive bishops, clergy working within the Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester engaged in the sexual abuse of children.“
    Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, I. Executive Summary, S. 4. Original
    Evidence: Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, II.D Findings, S. 16
    „more than 900 victims of sexual abuse by priests, bishops, deacons, and nuns across the Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester“
    Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, II.D Findings, S. 16. Original
    Evidence: Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, II.D Findings, S. 16
    „The abuse of children in all three dioceses was widespread and due in large part to an institutional failure of church leadership.“
    Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, II.D Findings, S. 16. Original

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. In 2019 the Attorney General's Office began a criminal investigation into whether the dioceses or their leadership bore criminal responsibility for abuse by clergy. It examined more than 300,000 pages, including every available personnel file of accused priests, and interviewed more than 100 people. Because of the statute of limitations, and because reckless endangerment of children and mandatory reporting by clergy became law only in 2002, it cannot prosecute the conduct it found.
    Evidence: Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I. Executive Summary, S. 4
    „In 2019, the Attorney General’s Office began an intensive investigation into how the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester handled child sexual abuse allegations against clergy.“
    Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, I. Executive Summary, S. 4. Original
    Evidence: Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I. Executive Summary, S. 4
    „reviewed more than 300,000 pages of documents, including every available personnel file of accused priests, and interviewed more than 100 individuals“
    Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, I. Executive Summary, S. 4. Original
    Evidence: Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I. Executive Summary, S. 5
    „Consequently, our office is unable to seek criminal charges.“
    Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, I. Executive Summary, S. 5. Original

What happened to those affected?

  1. According to the report the dioceses have implemented reforms since 2002, and no case was found in which ongoing abuse went unreported after 2002. At the same time the office found that even after 2002 priests in each diocese sometimes remained in ministry for years after abuse reports had been received. Bishops did not consult their review boards, allowed accused priests to retire instead of investigating and did not refer them to the Vatican. Numerous priests with substantiated offences were not removed from the clerical state, were scarcely supervised and continue to receive retirement, housing and health benefits from the Church.
    Evidence: Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, II.D Findings, S. 16
    „Our investigation did not identify any instance where priests or diocesan officials failed to report ongoing abuse of a minor to the appropriate civilian authorities after our laws changed in 2002.“
    Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, II.D Findings, S. 16. Original
    Evidence: Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I. Executive Summary, S. 5
    „we found instances since 2002 in each diocese where priests were permitted to remain in ministry for years after the dioceses received reports that the priests had sexually abused children“
    Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, I. Executive Summary, S. 5. Original
    Evidence: Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, II.D Findings, S. 17
    „permitting accused priests to retire rather than investigating and disclosing abuse allegations, and failing to refer accused priests to the Vatican“
    Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, II.D Findings, S. 17. Original
    Evidence: Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, II.D Findings, S. 17
    „to receive retirement, housing, and health benefits from the Church“
    Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, II.D Findings, S. 17. Original

Background

Response of the Church

  1. According to the report church decision-makers knew for years that scores of children were being abused by a substantial number of priests and took no effective action; instead the dioceses actively sought to cover up the abuse to protect the Church's reputation. Before 2002 all three dioceses transferred perpetrators without warning parishioners, accepted perpetrators from other dioceses, placed them in unsupervised parish settings, failed to investigate allegations properly and did not notify police. As a result further children were victimised. According to the report the conduct before 2002 was intentional, reprehensible and morally wrong.
    Evidence: Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, II.D Findings, S. 15
    „Instead, at the time, the dioceses actively sought to cover up the child sexual abuse to protect the reputation of the Church.“
    Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, II.D Findings, S. 15. Original
    Evidence: Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, II.D Findings, S. 16
    „transferring abusive priests to new dioceses or parishes without warning parishioners in the new location“
    Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, II.D Findings, S. 16. Original
    Evidence: Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, II.D Findings, S. 16
    „failing to notify law enforcement of reports that priests had sexually abused children“
    Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, II.D Findings, S. 16. Original
    Evidence: Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, II.D Findings, S. 16
    „As a result of the dioceses’ actions and failures to act, additional children were victimized at the hands of abusive priests.“
    Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, II.D Findings, S. 16. Original
    Evidence: Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, II.D Findings, S. 16
    „their pre-2002 conduct was intentional, reprehensible, and morally wrong“
    Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, II.D Findings, S. 16. Original

See also

Original documents to read

  1. Government report
    Andrea Campbell, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. Report on Diocese Investigation, 30 September 2026. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
Change log (1)

The change log is kept in German only.

  • : Aufgenommen

Last changed on 31 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.