Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha said he is about to send the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence a report that shows the church “did not respond well” to accusations of clergy sexual abuse of children over the past 70 years.
During an interview with Globe reporters, Neronha said he hopes to send the 400-page report to the diocese by the end of October. He said church officials are entitled to review the document before it’s released to the public, and the diocese could go to court to try to stop its release.
In 2019, the attorney general’s office and the Rhode Island State Police began a review of all files of complaints of childhood sexual abuse collected by the Diocese of Providence since 1950. Over the past six years, the investigation led to new charges against a few priests, and produced thick volumes of detailed information about every accused priest, where they were assigned, and what the diocese did in response.
“I don’t think Rhode Islanders will be surprised that there have been abuse cases involving priests — we’re all aware of that,” Neronha said. “I think the scale, when all put together, is stunning. And the church’s lack of appreciation for the harm that was caused is troubling. It’s almost like the institution felt protected from societal norms in how they reacted.”
Neronha said the report includes instances of credibly accused priests being moved to other churches.
“They moved these guys around, and there were many instances where priests were sent off for counseling or self-reflection — however the church described it,” he said. “Look, it got better over time. It’s better today than it was 20, 30, 40 years ago. No question.”
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