BOSTON — A state investigation has uncovered that more than 270 Catholic clerics abused nearly 1,000 children across the Massachusetts dioceses of Worcester, Fall River, and Springfield over the past century, according to a report released on September 30 by the office of Attorney General Andrea Campbell.

The probe, which began in 2019, is the first comprehensive examination of abuse outside the Boston Archdiocese, which had been the focus of previous inquiries. The report finds that most known abuse and attempts by church officials to conceal misconduct occurred prior to 2002. Although reforms have been implemented since the early 2000s, the investigation concluded that policies designed to protect children were not consistently enforced, and exceptions frequently undermined safeguarding efforts.

Several cases highlighted in the report illustrate the scope and severity of the abuse. Ronald Provost, who operated a street hockey league for children, was convicted for photographing a child nude in a pool locker room. He later provided authorities with over 100 photos of naked children dating back to the 1970s. Notably, Provost had admitted to an auxiliary bishop at the time that he had taken such images.

Victor Frobas, a priest originally from West Virginia, was sent to a treatment center for abusive priests in 1978 after multiple children accused him of abuse at a group home. Within two months of leaving the facility, he was reassigned as a visiting priest in Northborough, Massachusetts, where he allegedly abused over a dozen children during a two-year period. Frobas was also implicated in a child sex ring connected to the treatment center. He died in 1993 before facing trial on charges of rape and indecent assault.

Another case involved Robert Kelley, a Worcester priest condemned in the report as “notorious for abusing young girls.” Kelley was criminally convicted twice, but allegations dating back to shortly after his 1968 ordination were dismissed by his supervisor, who claimed the accuser was exaggerating.

Attorney General Campbell noted that the statute of limitations has expired for all newly identified misconduct, preventing the filing of new criminal charges. She urged the state legislature to pass reforms that would eliminate the existing $20,000 charitable immunity cap on civil claims related to child sexual abuse, remove the statute of limitations for such civil claims, and establish an indefinite look-back period enabling survivors whose claims have expired to seek justice.

State Senator Joan Lovely expressed hope that the bill, which has stalled for 14 years, could finally pass this year as part of a larger legislative package currently under negotiation in a conference committee.

Campbell also criticized the Worcester Diocese as the only diocese in Massachusetts that has not publicly released a list of credibly accused priests, despite having conducted a review in 2023 that identified 173 individuals with substantiated allegations dating back to 1950. The diocese has resisted calls to publish the list, a request Campbell said was initially made privately but denied.

The report reflects ongoing challenges in achieving accountability and transparency within the Catholic Church in Massachusetts and calls for enhanced legislative measures to support survivors and prevent future abuse.