Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s office released a report Wednesday detailing the findings of their investigation into child sexual abuse in the Catholic dioceses of Fall River, Springfield and Worcester.
Speaking from her office in Boston, Campbell said their investigation found evidence that more than 270 Catholic clergy members abused nearly 1,000 children across the three dioceses. The investigation began in 2019 and involved the review of more than 300,000 pages of records and over 100 interviews of survivors, advocates, attorneys, clergy, church officials and employees.
“Behind every one of those numbers is a child whose safety was violated, a family that was changed forever and a survivor who carried that abuse for years, and in many cases decades. They continue to carry this trauma even today,” Campbell said at a press conference Wednesday. “I know many survivors have been waiting a long time to see these findings made public. I understand the frustration that comes with that wait. It is my hope that today is a meaningful step forward toward truth, accountability and healing that survivors deserve.”
“This investigation was not about demonizing a faith or a church,” she added. “Rather, it was about seeking justice.”
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