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

Rhode Island 1950 to 2026: Attorney General names 72 credibly accused clergy of the Diocese of Providence; files were destroyed after priests' deaths, bishops often knew

In March 2026 the Attorney General of Rhode Island, Peter Neronha, presented a report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence since 1950. It was based on files the diocese handed over under a 2019 agreement, including the "secret archive". The report names 72 credibly accused clergy. Its conclusion: diocesan clergy sexually abused children, their superiors including bishops often knew or suspected it and did not take the allegations seriously enough to protect further children. Until the 1990s abuse was barely documented or concealed in euphemisms; confidential files were destroyed after priests' deaths. The diocese refused interviews with its staff.

Period
1950-2026 (76 years)
Country
United States
Institutions
Diocese of Providence
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. In an appendix the report names 72 clergy whom the Attorney General considers credibly accused of child sexual misconduct. Its overall conclusion: diocesan clergy sexually abused children; their superiors, including bishops, often became aware of it or at least suspected it and did not take the allegations seriously enough to protect further children from abuse.
    Evidence: Peter F. Neronha, Attorney General, State of Rhode Island, II.D, S. 24
    „72 clergy determined by the Attorney General to have been credibly accused of child sexual misconduct in the Diocese of Providence“
    Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, II.D, S. 24. Original
    Evidence: Peter F. Neronha, Attorney General, State of Rhode Island, II.C, S. 22
    „Diocesan clergy sexually abused children, and their superiors, including bishops, often became aware of the abuse, or at the very least suspected it was happening.“
    Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, II.C, S. 22. Original
    Evidence: Peter F. Neronha, Attorney General, State of Rhode Island, II.C, S. 22 f.
    „failed to take the allegations sufficiently seriously so that additional children would be protected from further abuse by Diocesan clergy“
    Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, II.C, S. 22 f.. Original

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. Because Rhode Island has no public grand jury reports, the Attorney General and the diocese concluded an agreement on 22 July 2019 under which the diocese had to hand over files on allegations of sexual misconduct against children since 1 January 1950, including the files of the so-called secret archive. The office and the State Police contacted nearly 150 survivors. As a direct result of the investigation four priests were arrested and indicted; they are presumed innocent.
    Evidence: Peter F. Neronha, Attorney General, State of Rhode Island, II.B, S. 19
    „the Attorney General and the Diocese entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) on July 22, 2019“
    Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, II.B, S. 19. Original
    Evidence: Peter F. Neronha, Attorney General, State of Rhode Island, II.C, S. 20
    „These records included what is known as the “secret archive” files“
    Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, II.C, S. 20. Original
    Evidence: Peter F. Neronha, Attorney General, State of Rhode Island, II.C, S. 20
    „contacted nearly 150 survivors of clergy child sexual abuse“
    Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, II.C, S. 20. Original
    Evidence: Peter F. Neronha, Attorney General, State of Rhode Island, II.D, S. 23
    „four Catholic priests were arrested and indicted for child molestation and/or sexual assault while serving as clergy in the Diocese of Providence“
    Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, II.D, S. 23. Original

Background

Response of the Church

  1. According to the report, until the 1990s clergy sexual abuse was not routinely documented in files and was often referred to in euphemisms that concealed its true nature. There was evidence of a practice of destroying confidential files after priests' deaths; memoranda from 2002 show this for two priests, although the diocese's counsel denied that such files were destroyed. Treatment facilities recommended that their reports be destroyed. The diocese repeatedly refused interviews with its staff, which according to the report raises troubling questions about its actual cooperation.
    Evidence: Peter F. Neronha, Attorney General, State of Rhode Island, II.C, S. 21
    „particularly prior to the 1990s, clergy child sexual abuse was not routinely documented in priests’ files, and allegations were often referred to in euphemistic terms that concealed the true nature of the abuse“
    Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, II.C, S. 21. Original
    Evidence: Peter F. Neronha, Attorney General, State of Rhode Island, II.C, S. 21
    „There was also evidence of a Diocesan policy or practice of destroying confidential files following priests’ deaths unless there was pending litigation involving the priests.“
    Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, II.C, S. 21. Original
    Evidence: Peter F. Neronha, Attorney General, State of Rhode Island, II.C, S. 21
    „Yet counsel for the Diocese also represented to us during this Investigation that the Diocese did not destroy such files.“
    Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, II.C, S. 21. Original
    Evidence: Peter F. Neronha, Attorney General, State of Rhode Island, II.C, S. 22
    „its repeated refusals to make any Diocesan personnel available for in-person interviews with representatives of this Office“
    Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, II.C, S. 22. Original

See also

Original documents to read

  1. Government report
    Peter F. Neronha, Attorney General, State of Rhode Island: Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, 4 March 2026. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
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Last changed on 31 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.