PROVIDENCE — In continuing its commitment to provide safe environments for children and young people and strengthen its long-standing cooperation with civil authorities, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence has voluntarily agreed to a review of clergy files by the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General and the Rhode Island State Police.
According to a Memorandum of Understanding announced Tuesday, the diocese will voluntarily provide access to clergy files dating back to 1950. The agreement affirms and builds upon the well-established diocesan policy and practice of cooperating with the Rhode Island State Police, the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General and other law enforcement.
“I welcome this opportunity to continue our cooperation with the Rhode Island Office of Attorney General and the Rhode Island State Police,” said Bishop Thomas J. Tobin. “It also affirms our longstanding commitment to transparency and accountability in dealing with clergy sexual abuse of minors.”
In 2016, the Diocese, building on its over 20 year practice of reporting each and every allegation of clergy sexual abuse of a minor to law enforcement — regardless of credibility — worked cooperatively with the Attorney General’s Office to formalize reporting protocols under which allegations are reported to both law enforcement and the Attorney General’s Office. At the time, the Office of Attorney General expressed its appreciation of the diocese, in particular, Bishop Tobin, for its work on the 2016 Letter of Understanding and for the recognition that sexual abuse by a member of the Catholic Church would not be tolerated.
Earlier this month, the diocese published a list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor since 1950. That list was compiled by the current Director of the Office of Compliance, Kevin M. O’Brien, a 23-year veteran of the Rhode Island State Police, a former major and commander of the Detective Division. The Diocesan Office of Compliance has been continuously staffed with a trained law enforcement investigator since it was established in 1993. In 2002, the Catholic Bishops of the United States adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and the Diocesan Review Board was established — initially headed by former Rhode Island Attorney General Dennis J. Roberts and former State Police Superintendent Edmond S. Culhane to ensure that the perspective of law enforcement was included early on in the diocese’s response to child sex abuse.
The diocese urges anyone who has been the victim of sexual abuse, or with knowledge of such abuse, by any priest, deacon, religious, lay employee or volunteer of the Diocese of Providence to report the information to the Rhode Island State Police Major Crimes Unit at (401) 444-1000, the RI Child Protective Services’ Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline Systems at 1-800-RI-CHILD (1-800-742-4453), the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office at (401) 274-4400 and/or Kevin O’Brien, Director of the Office of Compliance, at (401) 941-0760 or email kobrien@dioceseofprovidence.org.
They may also contact Victim Assistance Coordinator, Dr. Michael Hansen, director of the Office of Outreach and Prevention at (401) 946-0728 or email mhansen@dioceseofprovidence.org to learn about pastoral outreach programs.
For more information on our ongoing child protection efforts, please visit our website www.dioceseofprovidence.org.
