Press Conference April 12, 2012 - Transcripts - Press Conference April 12, 2012 -- Part 3
Article Index
ROBERT PERRON: The Archdiocese told me, in my case, that they didn’t want his name released, Rickard O’Donovan, by no means, because he is deceased, and they were afraid that it would upset his family. I would like you to take a good look at this picture over here. That’s me, at 9 years old, as a child. As a child, that was molested. Don’t you think I’m upset over this? I was the one that was molested. Do I care about his family? Not really. Do I care about him? No. I wish he was alive today so that I could see him, face to face. Unfortunately I can’t. Thank you very much.
AUDIENCE QUESTION: Robert, can I just ask you, how do you feel about the church basically not admitting with him? I mean, they did come to a settlement, but not an admission of guilt.
PERRON: It’s more than outrageous. It’s ludicrous. I mean, how can they not come forward? Look at all the victims. Is everybody lying? Come on. It’s just ridiculous. I don’t understand it. Nobody would understand it. I mean, I’m coming forward telling you about these parishes that he was in, because I want people to know if they were in this parish and they were molested, to come forward. They have a right to come forward. For themselves. Did I answer your question?
AUDIENCE QUESTION: Could you tell me, when you came forward and what made you decide to come forward?
PERRON: I came forward two years ago, and the reason I came forward later (in life) was because I, um, had dealt with a lot of demons in my life. A lot of things happened to me, as an adult, because of this, and I won’t go into it. I corrected those situations and became a better person. I was able to deal with myself on a level where I could come forward, and face this. And get closure. The only way you’re going to get closure and feel at peace with yourself, is to come forward. Talk about it. Don’t hold this in. The more you hold it in, the worse you’re going to be. It’s going to eat you alive. That’s why I’m pleading to you, to put this information out. It’s important that people know what rectories and churches he was in, in his later years, up to the year 2000. It’s very important to me. It’s very important to the victims. Because I know there are more victims out there. Thank you.
AUDIENCE QUESTION: How do you spell your last name?
PERRON: P E RR O N. Robert Perron.
AUDIENCE QUESTION: How old are you, sir?
PERRON: 57 years old. This happened 48 years ago.
AUDIENCE QUESTION: Could you say where you’re from?
PERRON: Originally, I’m from Brockton, Massachusetts. I lived actually 3 streets away from the rectory, on Henry Street.
AUDIENCE QUESTION: Did you ever consider telling a parent, or anyone, at that time?
PERRON: When you’re involved with a priest that’s a pedophile, he coerces you into telling you that you’re not loved by your parents. My mother was divorced. She just got remarried. She was trying to have children. I was a latchkey kid. I grew up very fast. I was pulled into this, and told.
AUDIENCE: Your mother was a Catholic?
PERRON: My mother wasn’t Catholic. She married a Catholic. She was Protestant. OK, so I had really no religion before she remarried. I was pulled into this by him, coerced by him, and he told me that he loved me, not to tell anybody, that I wasn’t loved at home, nobody loved me. I was a very lonely child. I was pushed aside. Not intentionally, it just happened that way. Under the circumstances, I don’t blame anybody for that. Of course not. But, the circumstances were right. The priest was there. He knew it, and he took advantage of it. I mean, the audacity of a priest coming into the store where your mother worked, and trying to, basically, take your kid away, to molest him. That was his plan? He had the intention, he had the ability, and he had the opportunity. And he did it. How many other ones out there that he did it to, I don’t know. Any other questions?
AUDIENCE: It was such a different time, to, I mean, telling somebody that a priest molested you, people didn’t believe you back then, right?
PERRON: Well, my mother, she just remarried, to a French-Canadian, his mother was from Canada. A very religious woman. Deilia Perron, bless her soul. She took me in as her grandchild, never asked any questions. Lovely woman. Never asked any questions. I was adopted by my father. I have his name, my stepfather’s name. I’m adopted.
GARABEDIAN: You know, you say it’s a different time, but it wasn’t a different time for priests and the supervisors of priests back then.
AUDIENCE: No, but I mean, the ability for a victim, I think, to come forward and say…
GARABEDIAN: Oh, it’s difficult every day, at any time, for any victim. It’s very difficult because it’s a deep, dark, ugly secret where the victim feels unnecessary guilt, shame and embarrassment. It’s up to the adult. It’s up to the supervisor of the adult, to do something to prevent this from happening. It’s all about prevention. It wasn’t a different time in the 1960s and the 1970s. Sexual abuse was not, it was frowned upon back then, and it should have been. But where were the priests? Where were these people who claimed to have been holier-than-thou? Where were their supervisors? Where was Cardinal Law? The evidence in the Geoghan cases shows that Cardinal Law knew that Father John J. Geoghan was a sexual abuser, yet he transferred him to another parish, without warning parishioners. Why didn’t he err on the side of caution? He knew that Father John J. Geoghan was a sexual pedophile, yet he transferred him to St. Julia's in Weston. He knew it, and that’s the evidence that I have in my offices, and it is in writing, and I believe that it’s on BishopAccountability.org, too.
My list now totals 129 priests, religious order priests, Archdiocesan priests, members of religious organizations that have credibly been found to have sexually molested children. I’m one person, one lawyer. 129 pedophiles associated with the Catholic Church. More than 1000 victims are represented by me, have been represented by me.
Anne, do you have anything else to say?
DOYLE: No, I think that about covers it. I will say, interestingly enough, yesterday the United States Congress on Catholic Bishops came out with an updated report on how many priests have been accused in the last year. The net newly identified is about 160 or so, in 2011. It is remarkable that that many priests. There are now over 6000 accused priests acknowledged by the Catholic Church. They claim that they have heard reports, plausible or credible, against more than 6000 accused priests. So it’s sad, but it’s not surprising, that an attorney is still getting fresh reports.
GARABEDIAN: People are pouring in. It’s not like I get a call every couple of weeks. Constant. Constantly. And I want them to call me. I want them to try to heal. But it’s simply amazing. Simply amazing. Thank you for coming, too.
Important Announcements
-
"Diocese of Manchester settles 1970s sexual-abuse claim," Manchester NH Union Leader, March 26, 2024
Assignment Record for Father Alfred L. Janetta -
"'They're self-inflicted wounds': Buffalo Diocese bankruptcy moves into year four," wkbw.com, March 4, 2024
-
Names of 4 priests and 1 worker released, bringing the total to 406!Released in March 2024
Results/List -
"Second judge in Wisconsin rules defrocked cardinal Theodore McCarrick not competent to stand trial," BishopAccountabilty.org, January 11, 2024, citing the Boston Globe on January 10, 2024
-
"Three brothers allege sexual abuse at Saint John’s in mid-1960s," Community Advocate, January 4, 2024
-
Names of 11 sexually abusive clergy released, bringing the total to 401!Released in October 2023
Individual Records -
"Deerfield Academy reaches 6th sexual abuse settlement against former math teacher," Masslive.com, October 18, 2023
-
"Mitchell Garabedian: The Lawyer Who Helped Expose the Boston Priest Scandal", BishopAccountability.org, May 23, 2023
-
"Former altar boy's lawsuit against former New Bedford priest alleging sexual abuse settled," Yahoo and The Standard-Times, May 9, 2023
-
Names of 7 sexually abusive clergy released, bringing the total to 390!Released in October 2022
Results/List -
Names of 22 sexually abusive clergy released, bringing the total to 383!Released in April 2022
Individual Records -
Additional Archdiocese of Boston Clergy Names Released! Details on 5 Abusive Priests and 1 Deacon (link to pdf) Released in July 2021
Individual Records Complaints Filed -
Additional Priests' Names Released! Details on 10 Abusive Priests (link to pdf) Released in May 2021
Individual Records -
Archdiocese of Hartford – Fr. Kenneth Bonadies publicly outed as a sexual abuser Hartford Courant, May 5, 2021
Abusive Priest Details
- Father Alfred L. Jannetta – Diocese of Manchester
- Monsignor Joseph C. Ansaldi – Archdiocese of New York
- Father Pasquale J. Barletta – Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Michael Amy -- Diocese of Erie
- Father Richard Barry, O.M.I. - Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
- Father Thomas J. Bender -- Diocese of Allentown
- Monsignor Charles Beausang – Diocese of Camden
- Father Gerard Boisvert – Diocese of Fall River
- Father Kenneth Bonadies - Archdiocese of Hartford
- Father Douglas V. Borowski – Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Kevin M. Bray, O.S.B. – Archdiocese of Newark, Diocese of Paterson, Diocese of Wilmington
- Father James F. Buckley – Diocese of Fall River
- Father Leo Bujnowski – Diocese of San Angelo
- Father Leo Burchianti – Diocese of Pittsburgh
- Father Edward J. Byington – Diocese of Fall River
- Father Gerard Chasse – Diocese of Rockville Centre
- Father Anthony Cipolla – Diocese of Pittsburgh
- Father George H. Clements – Archdiocese of Chicago
- Father James H. Coffey - Archdiocese of Boston
- Father James Collins – Diocese of Fresno (formerly known as the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno)
- Father Charles G. Collins – Diocese of Rockville Centre
- Father Denis A. Conte -Archdiocese of Boston
- Brother Edward C. Courtney – C.F.C.
- Father John H. Curley – Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Thomas J. Crum – Diocese of Youngstown
- Father Alphonse Dallinger – Diocese of Brooklyn
- Father Arthur Devlin, S.M. – Marist Fathers of Boston, a/k/a Society of Mary of the U.S.A.
- Father Leon Dicks, O.F.M.Conv. - Diocese of Trenton - Conventual Franciscans, Province of the Immaculate Conception
- Father Lawrence W. Donovan – Diocese of Trenton
- Father Robert Dunphy – Diocese of Camden
- Deacon William Emerson – Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Robert D. Fay - Archdiocese of Boston
- Monsignor J. Francis Feenan – Diocese of Paterson
- Father Romano J. Ferraro – Diocese of Brooklyn, Diocese of Methuen
- Father Merle Fisher - Marist Fathers
- Father Joseph L. Fitzharris – Archdiocese of Chicago
- Father Conran Free, C.P. - Congregation of the Passion (“Passionists”) - Diocese of Scranton
- Father Lawrence Gadek – Archdiocese of Newark
- Father Richard M. Galdon – Archdiocese of Newark
- Father Brian Gallagher, S.S.C.
- Father Vincent J. Gallo – Diocese of Brooklyn
- Father Michael Garry – Diocese of Trenton
- Father James M. Gibbons - Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Augustine M. Giella – Diocese of Harrisburg
- Father Denis Ginty – Archdiocese of Los Angeles
- Father J. Gerard Griffin– Diocese of Trenton, Diocese of Springfield
- Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez
- Monsignor James J. Haddad - Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Michael H. Hansen – Archdiocese of Newark
- Father Patrick J. Healy – Diocese of Erie
- Monsignor Herman Heide – Archdiocese of New York
- Father Douglas U. Hermansen – Diocese of Trenton
- Father Charles Herr – Archdiocese of Newark
- Father Donald Hickey – Diocese of Trenton
- Father Daniel M. Holihan – Archdiocese of Chicago
- Father Ernest Karl Huller – Diocese of Springfield
- Monsignor Thomas M. Jordan – Diocese of Scranton
- Father Charles Kane – Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Thomas C. Kelley – Diocese of Erie
- Monsignor Joseph P. Kelly – Diocese of Scranton
- Father Robert J. Klem, C.S.B. – Congregation of St. Basil, a.k.a. the Basilians, and the Diocese of Rochester
- Father Eugene Kwapisz, O.F.M. Conv. - Order of Minors Friar Conventual, St. Anthony of Padua Province - Diocese of Trenton
- Serio “Charlie” La Penna - Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Victor C. LaVoie - Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Roger R. Leblanc - Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Theodore F. Llanos – Archdiocese of Los Angeles
- Father Salvatore Luzzi – Diocese of Erie
- Father Gerald F. Lyons – Diocese of Trenton
- Father Patrick Francis Magee – Diocese of Trenton
- Monsignor Daniel Martin – Diocese of Erie
- Father George Maslar, O.M.F.Conv. (Conventual Franciscans)
- Father James McAuliffe – Diocese of Scranton
- Father Maurus McBarron, O.S.B. (Benedictines)
- Father Paul R. McCarthy – Archdiocese of Boston
- Father James McDonnell – Archdiocese of Philadelphia
- Father Joseph McHugh – Diocese of Trenton
- Father Joseph F. McGarvey – Diocese of Camden
- Father Francis G. McInerney - Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Thomas McKenna – Diocese of Pittsburgh
- Father William McKeone – Diocese of Trenton
- Father Paul J. McLaughlin – Archdiocese of Boston
- Father F. Dominic Menna – Archdiocese of Boston (at times indexed as “Fiori D. Menna”)
- Father John L. Murray – Diocese of Erie
- Monsignor John O’Donnell – Archdiocese of Los Angeles
- Father Francis E. O’Brien, Jr. – Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Denis O’Driscoll, S.M.A. – Society of African Missions
- Father Martin O’Hara – Archdiocese of Philadelphia
- Father George Parme – Diocese of Pittsburgh
- Father Gabriel Patil, c.r.s.p. – Diocese of Allentown / The Barnabites
- Father Robert Patterson – Archdiocese of Newark
- Father John P. Paul – Archdiocese of Philadelphia
- Father Michael Pecharich – Diocese of Orange
- Father John Piatkowski – Diocese of Erie
- Father William Presley – Diocese of Erie
- Father Joseph J. Pucci, O.M.I.
- Father Paul V. Rattigan – Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Michael J. Regan
- Brother Remigius, C.F.X., a/k/a Francis O’Lone – Xaverian Brothers
- Father Joseph P. Rice – Archdiocese of Newark
- Brother Donald Richard, F.M.S. - Archdiocese of Newark - Marist Brothers of the Schools
- Father Edward Richard – Diocese of Manchester
- Father Thomas A. Riley – Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Eugene Riordan, S.M.A. – Society of African Missions
- Father James J. Rosch – Diocese of Albany
- Father Sylvio Ruest – Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Robert F. Ryan – Archdiocese of Philadelphia
- Father John Salvucci – Archdiocese of Boston
- Father William I. Shinnick - Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Edward Shoback – Diocese of Scranton
- Father David Soderlund – Diocese of Allentown
- Father Leonard Spanburgh – Archdiocese of Newark
- Father Francis Stinner – Archdiocese of New York
- Father John Stonebridge – Diocese of Brooklyn
- Father Gerard Sudol – Archdiocese of Newark
- Father Bernard L. Sullivan – Archdiocese of Boston
- Father John T. Sullivan – Diocese of Manchester, Diocese of Grand Rapids, Diocese of Gallup, Diocese of Phoenix
- Father T. Raymond Sullivan – Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Patrick J. Tague – Archdiocese of Boston
- Father Arthur Taraborelli – Archdiocese of Philadelphia
- Father Toribio Villacastin – Archdiocese of Hartford
- Father Robert J. Vonnahmen – Diocese of Belleville
- Father Michael Wempe – Archdiocese of Los Angeles
- Father Michael Weston – Archdiocese of Chicago
- Father Harold Robert White – Diocese of Denver
- Father Benjamin D. Wysolmerski – Diocese of Burlington
- Father Theodore Zabowski – Diocese of Pittsburgh
In The Media
-
"Diocese of Manchester settles 1970s sexual-abuse claim,"Manchester NH Union Leader, March 26, 2024
Assignment Record for Father Alfred L. Janetta -
"Deerfield Academy settles child sexual abuse claim involving longtime athletics employee," Daily Hampshire Gazette, July 25, 2023
-
"3 people sue cardinal, bishops, over alleged sex abuse by Arlington Catholic High ex-principal," Bishop Accountability.org, May 22, 2023
-
"Third alleged sex abuse victim from one priest’s time in Ohio Valley comes forward,"BishopAccountability.org, May 15, 2023
-
"Caught between the mob and a predatory priest, a survivor finds his voice," Boston Globe, April 18, 2023
-
"Vermont Catholic Diocese settles sex abuse lawsuit targeting South Burlington priest," WCAX.com, May 17, 2022
-
"Archdiocese of Chicago settles sex abuse claim against the Rev. George Clements," Chicago Sun Times, April 26, 2022
-
"Woman accuses former Bridgeport priest of sexual abuse," WTNH, Bridgeport, CT, February 23, 2022
-
"Fall River Diocese: Three Priests ‘Credibly’ Accused of Child Abuse," WBSM-AM/AM 1420, Fall River, Fairhaven, MA, December 13, 2021
-
Boston archdiocese settles two new lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by priests, Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA, November 14, 2021