Westchester County 1970 to 2002: First US grand jury on abuse by clergy finds that the Church reported no case to police, lied to victims and kept transferring abusers

In April 2002 the District Attorney of Westchester County, New York, convened a grand jury. According to BishopAccountability.org it concerned the Archdiocese of New York; the report itself speaks only of "the religious institution". After 21 witnesses, including 8 victims, and thousands of pages of records, the grand jury found in June 2002: in none of the more than ten cases examined did the institution report the allegations to police, which it regarded as an orchestrated effort to protect abusers from prosecution. Victims were told there were no other allegations even when this was a lie; abusers were put back into parishes with children after brief treatment. Paid counselling was offered only in exchange for confidentiality agreements. All offences were time-barred. It was the first of six such reports in the US up to 2005.

Period

1970-2002 (32 years)

Country

United States

Institutions

Archdiocese of New York

Category

Sexual abuse, Cover-up

Level of evidence

A Primary source · what does this mean?

Background

Who received the assets, who profited?

1. The institution offered some victims paid counselling, but only if they and their families signed a confidentiality agreement; after typically 12 to 18 months it stopped payment. All agreements examined contained a clause permanently forbidding victims to initiate or assist civil or criminal proceedings. After allegations became public the institution publicly accused victims of being only out for money.
   Evidence: Westchester County Grand Jury, New York; Webfassung BishopAccountability.org, III.D, S. 11

   „the institution's offer to pay for this counseling was conditioned on the victim and his family signing a confidentiality agreement“

   Evidence: Westchester County Grand Jury, New York; Webfassung BishopAccountability.org, III.D, S. 11

   „typically 12 to 18 months, the religious institution routinely discontinued payment for counseling“

   Evidence: Westchester County Grand Jury, New York; Webfassung BishopAccountability.org, III.D, S. 12

   „The express wording of this provision forever bars the victim from reporting the sexual abuse and misconduct to law enforcement officials or the general public“

   Evidence: Westchester County Grand Jury, New York; Webfassung BishopAccountability.org, III.C, S. 9

   „conducted a concerted campaign to marginalize and discredit victims“

Response of the Church

1. In no case examined did the institution report the allegations to the authorities, and no victim was advised to do so; the grand jury inferred an orchestrated effort to protect abusers from prosecution and the institution from bad publicity. A victim who had himself found further victims was assured by the institution that he was the only one; it lied. It adopted a priest's account that a 14-year-old had been the aggressor as "true fact" in the personnel file. After treatment of at most six months abusers returned to parishes without anyone being warned; referrals often named alcoholism or depression instead of paedophilia.
   Evidence: Westchester County Grand Jury, New York; Webfassung BishopAccountability.org, III.B, S. 7

   „The Grand Jury infers that this was an orchestrated effort to protect abusing clergy members from investigation, arrest and prosecution by civil authorities.“

   Evidence: Westchester County Grand Jury, New York; Webfassung BishopAccountability.org, III.A, S. 5

   „when the victim asked the religious institution whether he was the only victim of this clergy member, the religious institution lied, answering in the affirmative“

   Evidence: Westchester County Grand Jury, New York; Webfassung BishopAccountability.org, III.A, S. 6

   „insisted that the 14-year-old victim was the aggressor“

   Evidence: Westchester County Grand Jury, New York; Webfassung BishopAccountability.org, III.C, S. 8

   „The new congregation was purposefully kept in the dark by the religious institution.“

   Evidence: Westchester County Grand Jury, New York; Webfassung BishopAccountability.org, III.C, S. 10

   „clergy members were often referred for alcoholism or depression instead of pedophilia“

See also

• 1957-2002 · 45 years

  Long Island 1957 to 2002: A grand jury found that the Diocese of Rockville Centre used deception and intimidation to keep victims from legal action

  • United States
  • Sexual abuse
  • Cover-up
• 1970-2024 · 54 years

  Diocese of Brooklyn 1970 to 2024: New York Attorney General finds delayed proceedings, concealed reasons for resignations and unsupervised accused priests; diocese must appoint an external monitor

  • United States
  • Sexual abuse
  • Cover-up

Original documents to read

1. Government report
   Westchester County Grand Jury, New York; Webfassung BishopAccountability.org: Report of the April "E" 2002 Westchester County Grand Jury Concerning Complaints of Sexual Abuse and Misconduct against Minors by Members of the Clergy, 18 June 2002. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)

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