Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence
Content Warning: This Report contains detailed descriptions of allegations of sexual abuse and other sexual misconduct against children. The Office of the Attorney General and the Rhode Island State Police urge victims and any other persons with information regarding possible child sexual abuse or related crimes to call the State Police Special Victims Unit’s dedicated clergy abuse hotline at 401-764-0142.
The sordid and shameful history of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church spans generations and has affected communities across the globe. Despite its small size, our state is home to one of the largest Catholic populations per capita in the country, with over 39% of Rhode Islanders—more than any other state—self-identifying as Catholic. Victims of clergy sexual abuse in Rhode Island have come from every community, every ethnic group, and from all economic and social backgrounds. They are our neighbors, friends, and family members. Generations of Rhode Island victims, their families, and others who have suffered the impacts of this trauma deserve to know the truth of what occurred.
Please use this webpage as a resource for accessing and understanding the Report. Below are links to download the report, its appendices, and available resources for media. This website also highlights, non-exhaustively, several topics from the Report. For more information about any of these topics, please refer to the Report and its appendices.
Download the Report
Explore the Report
Investigative Overview
The Investigation, which began in July 2019, involved an examination of more than 250,000 pages of documents held by the Diocese dating back to 1950. Learn more about the Attorney General’s investigation and its outcomes here.
Recommendations
Further necessary and lasting change must come from a collective resolve by the Catholic Church itself, government, and the public, to acknowledge the failures of the past while embracing bold, corrective action to ensure they are not repeated. Learn more about the Office's recommendations here.
Resources
The Office of Attorney General and the Rhode Island State Police urge victims and any other persons with information regarding possible child sexual abuse or related crimes to call the State Police Special Victims Unit’s dedicated clergy abuse hotline at 401-764-0142. Find more resources for victims here.
Credibly Accused Clergy
Appendix A contains summaries of 72 clergy determined by the Attorney General to have been credibly accused of child sexual misconduct in the Diocese of Providence, based on the totality of information in this Office’s possession. Navigate to each summary here.
By the Numbers
