Rhode Island Clergy Sex Abuse Lawsuit
The Catholic Church in Rhode Island has a documented history of clergy abuse, especially in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence. Rhode Island has established a two-year revival window for childhood sexual abuse claims. From July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028, survivors may file lawsuits against both perpetrators and responsible institutions, even if the original statute of limitations has already expired. If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse as a child by a Rhode Island clergy member it’s important to take action now. Contact Helping Survivors today to help you file a lawsuit.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Survivor Advocate
- An investigation by the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General found that 75 clergy members from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence abused more than 300 children between 1950 and 2022.
- New legislation created a two-year revival window from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028 allowing survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits against institutions and organizations, even if the statute of limitations has already expired.
- Diocese of Providence revealed that it had paid over $21 million in settlements to survivors of sexual abuse and misconduct by clergy members.
- Our partnered sex abuse attorneys can help you file a civil lawsuit against the church. They operate on a contingency basis which means they only get paid if they win your case.
Overview of Sexual Abuse Allegations
The Catholic Church in Rhode Island has faced widespread allegations of abuse by clergy members since the mid-20th century, and the Diocese of Providence alone has had at least 75 bishops, priests, and other clergy members credibly accused of abuse. Several former priests in the Diocese have been indicted and even convicted on child sexual abuse charges, while others have quietly settled abuse claims against them outside of court with the Church’s help. Abuse by clergy members can include grooming, molestation, rape, and more, and the Church has been found time and time again to cover up reports of abuse and silence victims. Additionally, the widespread allegations span not only to churches where clergy members have served but clergy-run schools and other facilities as well.
Since Pennsylvania’s bombshell 2018 grand jury report identifying hundreds of Catholic clergy members accused of sexual abuse, many states have followed suit in working to identify abusers in the Church and compensate survivors for what they endured.
The Rhode Island Senate unanimously approved legislation that would create a two-year revival window from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. This allows survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits against institutions and organizations that allegedly enabled or concealed abuse, even if the statute of limitations has already expired.
On July 2, 2026, in light of the lookback window opening on July 1, 30 new lawsuits were filed against Rhode Island clergy, including many of which name the Catholic Diocese of Providence or “The Bishop” as defendants.
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Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Settlements
The Diocese of Providence has paid millions to survivors of clergy abuse. In 2019,
the diocese disclosed it had paid more than $21 million in settlements to abuse survivors.
- 2008: 4 separate lawsuits reached a $1.3 million settlement for multiple survivors. This was because some of the plaintiffs from the original 2002 settlement rejected that offer and filed a second lawsuit. The average per case payout was $325,000.
- 2002: 36 survivors were awarded a $13.5 million settlement alleging sexual abuse against 10 priests and 1 nun. The legal battle lasted 10 years before a settlement was reached. The average payout per survivor was $375,000.
What Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Settlements Tell Us
Diocese settlements in Rhode Island have ranged from $325,000 to $375,000+ per survivor on average. Individual settlements vary based on:
- Severity and duration of abuse
- Number of perpetrators involved
- Evidence of institutional negligence or cover-up
- Victim’s psychological/medical impact
- Quality of legal representation
With the 2026 revival window, the diocese may face additional claims that could increase this total.
Rhode Island Statute of Limitations: What to Know
In 2026, a two-year “lookback window” was passed allowing survivors to file claims that would otherwise be time-barred by the statute of limitations. The lookback window started on July 1, 2026, and extends until June 30, 2028.
Originally, survivors could pursue abuse that occurred before 2024 until the survivor turns 53. In 2019, Annie’s Law went into effect, making the statute of limitations retroactive so survivors under 53 could file regardless of when abuse occurred.
In a criminal case, a prosecutor files charges against the perpetrator, who may face jail time if they are found guilty of a crime. Civil cases, however, allow victims to hold both the perpetrator and any liable third parties financially accountable for abuse.
How a Clergy Sex Abuse Attorney Can Help
Sexual abuse attorneys and legal teams work not just to help victims of abuse secure justice and compensation but to guide them on the path to healing through sensitive, trauma-informed practices. Our partnered attorneys at Milberg can assist you with gathering evidence, securing expert testimony, accessing hard-to-reach church records that may corroborate your claim, filing documents on time, and providing emotional support throughout the legal process. By working with an experienced lawyer at Milberg, you may be able to recover damages for medical expenses, therapy costs, lost wages, and more.
Our partnered clergy sex abuse attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you won’t pay anything for their services unless they win your case.
Want To Speak With A Lawyer?
If you or a loved one endured sexual abuse by a priest, bishop, deacon, or other clergy member in Rhode Island, you are not alone, and you have rights and options for seeking justice. At Helping Survivors, we offer confidential legal support to survivors of sexual abuse, empowering them to understand their rights and options after experiencing harm. By providing resources for support, educational content, and legal introductions to our partner law firms, we aim to empower survivors to assert their rights in full confidence.
There is no right or wrong answer after experiencing sexual abuse, especially as a child. However, if you decide you would like to take legal action against the perpetrator of the abuse and the institutions that enabled it, Helping Survivors can help. Our legal partners work with survivors to file civil lawsuits against the wealthy institutions that enabled the abuse, aiming to compensate victims for their suffering. Get legal help here today.
Meet The Milberg Team
Marc Grossman
Senior Partner, Milberg PLLC
30+ years of complex litigation experience. Marc leads Milberg’s Sexual Abuse Practice and is recognized by Lawdragon 500 as one of America’s leading litigators. He’s committed to institutional accountability and survivor support.
Melinda Maxson
Senior Counsel, Milberg PLLC
20+ years representing survivors. Melinda has been involved in landmark cases exposing systemic failures in institutions, including her work on the T.T. v. Roblox case. She believes survivors deserve every legal avenue to seek accountability.
Legal Rights & Options for Survivors Impacted by Sexual Abuse
Under Rhode Island’s Sexual Assault Victims Bill of Rights, a number of rights are guaranteed to all victims of sexual assault and abuse, even if they choose not to participate in the criminal justice system or obtain a medical examination. Survivors of sexual assault in Rhode Island have:
- The right to obtain a medical examination and sexual assault evidence kit
- The right to choose whether to report the SA to law enforcement
- The right to consult with a victim advocate
- The right to pursue victim compensation
File a Civil Lawsuit
Survivors of childhood sexual abuse by clergy have the right to file civil lawsuits against both the individual clergy member who abused them and the Church itself for failing to protect them. Civil lawsuits allow survivors to recover financial compensation for the emotional, medical, and financial harm they endured as a result of the abuse. However, many states give survivors deadlines for filing these lawsuits. In Rhode Island, the civil child sexual abuse statute of limitations was extended to the victim’s 53rd birthday in 2019.
Under the current legislation, survivors can bring lawsuits not just against against institutions, like the church, for concealing the abuse, poor hiring practices, and failure to report.
Report Abuse to Oversight Agencies
In Rhode Island, all citizens are considered mandatory reporters. This means that any individual with reasonable suspicion of child abuse, including child sexual abuse, must report it to the state’s child abuse hotline within 24 hours of discovery. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-RI-CHILD (1-800-742-4453), and you may call anonymously. Additionally, you can report the abuse directly to the Church at some Diocese–for the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, you can contact the Office of Compliance to report abuse by clergy.
Report Sexual Abuse to Law Enforcement
Reporting sexual abuse to law enforcement is crucial to initiate any criminal investigation, and these reports can also serve as evidence in civil cases. Victims of Rhode Island clergy abuse can contact the Rhode Island State Police at 401-764-0142 to report abuse.
List of Accused Clergy Members
Accused Clergy Members in the Diocese of Providence
All information in this section is taken from the Rhode Island Attorney General Diocese Report of credibly accused clergy members and the Bishop Accountability Diocese of Providence database.
| Priest Name | Date Ordained | Date Suspended or Retired | Deceased Date | Summary of Allegations |
| Fr. Joseph A. Abruzzese | 1990 | 12/1/1993 (Placed on leave) | Living | Criminally charged after a 16-year-old boy reported that Abruzzese grabbed and fondled him in a local park in 1993. He pleaded no contest in 1994 to second-degree sexual assault and was sentenced to five years of probation. |
| Fr. John C. Allard | 1975 | 2/25/2013 (Removed) | Apr. 27, 2018 | Removed from parish duties following allegations of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old altar boy over a two-year period beginning in 1981. He admitted to the abuse; no criminal charges were filed due to the statute of limitations. |
| Fr. Daniel M. Azzarone, Jr. | 1978 | 11/2001 (Placed on leave); Laicized 6/12/2009 | Living | Arrested in 2001 for sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy on a cruise ship and inside a parish rectory. He pleaded no contest in 2005 to two counts of first-degree sexual assault, serving three years in prison, and was ordered to register as a Level III sex offender. Accused of abusing at least six boys. |
| Br. Peter / Fr. Robert W. Barnes | 1980 | 2002 (Removed from ministry) | 7/5/2008 | Accused in 2002 by a woman who reported he raped her in 1963 when she was 17. In 2019, a man reported being sexually assaulted by Barnes in the 1950s when he was a 10-year-old student. Time-barred from criminal prosecution. |
| Fr. Francis Xavier Battel | 1957 | 1969 (Leave of absence) | 12/16/1977 | The diocese received a retrospective report in 2010 stating that Battel sexually abused a 14-to-15-year-old boy in 1969 at St. Mary’s in Pawtucket, prompting his abrupt removal from the parish at that time. |
| Fr. Roger E. Belhumeur | 1961 | Post-death public disclosure | 9/28/2010 | A father reported via a letter in 1970 that Belhumeur sexually assaulted his teenage son. The victim came forward in 2005, detailing 30–40 instances of abuse. Another victim came forward in 2022 regarding abuse as an altar boy in the mid-1970s. |
| Fr. Mario Bordignon | 1950 | Post-death public disclosure | 12/22/1992 | A woman reported in 2013 that Bordignon sexually assaulted her five or six times in 1964 when she was 15 years old during swimming outings. No active canonical or civil actions were taken due to timeline constraints. |
| Fr. Ronald E. Brassard | 1974 | Remained in active ministry | Living | Named in a 1995 civil lawsuit where the plaintiff alleged Brassard and several other priests sexually abused him starting at age 13 while he was a student at an Illinois seminary in the 1970s. |
| Fr. Dennis Brodeur | 1977 | Post-death public disclosure | 1/1/2004 | An allegation was received shortly after his death in 2004 stating that Brodeur had sexually abused a 13-to-14-year-old boy in the late 1970s by entering his bedroom at night under the guise of being a family friend. |
| Fr. James Campbell | 1972 | 2002 (Placed on leave) | Living | Placed on leave by his religious order in 2002. In 1994, the diocese received a report that Campbell had sexually abused a 15-year-old boy multiple times between 1975 and 1976 at a parish in Warwick and inside regional hotels. |
| Fr. Joseph R. Casey | 1954 | 1993 (Retired) | 12/15/2012 | Included on the 2019 public list of credibly accused individuals after the diocese processed historic abuse claims from minors following his retirement from active local ministry. |
| Fr. Robert J. Clark | 1958 | 1993 (Retired) | 10/24/2006 | Named publicly on the diocese’s list of credibly accused individuals. Allegations were filed or reviewed by church personnel after his death involving misconduct with minors during his assignment periods. |
| Fr. John F. Doran | 1950 | Post-death public disclosure | 6/1/1992 | In 2002, a man reported that Doran sexually abused him multiple times when he was an 11- or 12-year-old altar boy at St. Patrick’s in Cranston. He suspected other altar boys were also targeted. |
| Fr. Paul E. Desrosiers | 1961 | Criminally charged 9/1995 | 2/15/2001 | Criminally charged with rape in 1995 following a 1994 civil lawsuit alleging he molested and raped a 15-year-old girl in the 1972–1974 timeframe. In 2012, a separate report alleged he raped an 8-year-old altar boy starting in 1980 and withheld wedding tips to force compliance. |
| Fr. Louis Ward Dunn | 1947 | 1994 (Placed on leave) | 4/18/2001 | Monsignor who held prominent chancery roles. Convicted criminally in 1997 of sexually assaulting a young woman in 1982. Received a 10-year suspended sentence. Accused of abusing at least five girls and young women, frequently using alcohol and drugs to compromise victims. |
| Deacon Laurence Gagnon | 1979 | 6/2011 (Resigned / Removed) | 8/28/2021 | Arrested in 2011 and charged with three counts of second-degree child molestation for inappropriately touching 6th-grade male students. He confessed, pleaded no contest, and was sentenced in 2013 to 10 years (1 year to serve) and registered as a Level 3 sex offender. |
| Fr. William P. Gillooly | 1944 | Post-death public disclosure | 9/2/1989 | Included on the Diocese’s 2019 public list of credibly accused individuals; the initial abuse allegations against him were received by the diocese after his death. |
| Fr. Rene Guertin | 1946 | Post-death public disclosure | 1/23/1982 | Accused of sexually abusing at least five children. A woman reported in 2007 that he raped and physically abused her for 7 years starting at age 10 in 1970. Two sisters reported they were sexually abused by him at St. Aloysius Home from ages 4 to 7, facilitated by a nun who delivered them to his room. |
| Fr. Adrien Menard | 1946 | Post-death public disclosure | 2/1/1976 | Included on the 2019 public list. The diocese received reports in 2002, 2011, and 2019 alleging that Menard sexually abused three or more children, including two teenage boys in the 1950s and 1960s, and a 9-year-old girl and her brother in the early 1970s. |
| Fr. Edmund C. Micarelli | 1959 | 4/17/1990 (Removed) | 7/12/2019 | Subject to multiple civil lawsuits in 1993 and 1995 alleging abuse of at least seven boys. The 2026 AG report noted allegations that Micarelli sexually abused at least twelve children (ages 8-15) while serving as a Boy Scout chaplain in the 1960s and 1970s, including rape and forcing children to perform sex acts on each other. |
| Fr. Thomas J. Scagnelli | 1965 | 1994 (Suspended) | 7/12/2017 | Suspended in 1994 and sent for a psychiatric evaluation after abuse complaints were received in 1993. Despite suspension, he was found illicitly saying mass in Massachusetts between 2000 and 2004. An accuser’s family was reportedly threatened with excommunication in the 1990s for attempting to report him. |
| Fr. James M. Silva | 1967 | 3/1/1993 (Removed) | Living | Admitted in court to sexually abusing a young man after criminal charges and multiple civil lawsuits were filed in 1994 regarding abuse spanning the 1960s–1980s. Received a 7-year suspended sentence. He was indicted again in late 2021 for the abuse of a child under 14. |
| Fr. William Tanguay | 1969 | 6/2002 (Faculties withdrawn) | Living | Accused of soliciting four teenagers and a young man for sex between 1965 and 1987, targeting homeless or low-income youths by offering food and lodging. He would give them money after performing oral sex or restrain and beat them. He relocated to Thailand in 2002 and admitted to having sex with people he picked up on streets. Granted retirement in 2008. |
| Fr. Peter L. Tedeschi | 1960 | Post-death public disclosure | 10/18/1986 | In 2019 public testimony, a woman stated that Tedeschi sexually abused her for over a year starting in 1960 when she was a 14-to-15-year-old middle school student. |
| Fr. Biagio Samuel Turillo | 1946 | 6/30/2016 (Prohibited from ministry) | 7/17/2023 | A string of complaints began as early as 1952 when a boy reported Turillo inappropriately touched him. He was repeatedly reassigned and admonished through the decades until he was officially barred from ministry at age 96 due to historic child sexual misconduct allegations. |
| Fr. Alfred R. Desrosiers | 1952 | 1993 (Retired) | 12/28/2009 | Included on the 2019 Diocesan list of credibly accused clergy. Allegations regarding child sexual misconduct were reviewed and verified by church authorities posthumously. |
| Fr. Paul Desrosiers (Sr.) | 1940 | 1981 (Retired) | 1984 | Different from Fr. Paul E. Desrosiers. The 2026 AG report detailed that he sexually abused two boys in the early 1960s while administrator of St. Joseph Church in Woonsocket, including taking one youth on overnight trips where the victim believed he was drugged. The complaints were historically hidden from the public record until his name was added to the credible list in 2019. |
| Fr. John W. Farley | 1964 | 1993 (Placed on leave) | 10/18/2007 | Removed from active ministry in 1993 following child sexual abuse complaints. He remained on leave without ministerial faculties until his death. |
| Fr. Edward J. Frazer | 1954 | 1998 (Retired) | 6/16/2012 | Formally named on the 2019 Diocesan list after multiple historical allegations from former minors were brought forward and deemed credible. |
| Fr. George L. Frappier | 1961 | 2002 (Suspended) | 3/28/2009 | Suspended from active duties in 2002 when a pattern of sexual misconduct allegations involving minors was presented to church officials. |
| Fr. Raymond J. Gagne | 1957 | 1994 (Placed on leave) | 11/17/2011 | Removed from his parish and placed on administrative leave in 1994 when allegations surfaced. He was subsequently listed by the Diocese as a credibly accused priest. |
| Fr. Robert J. Giguere | 1966 | 2003 (Suspended) | 12/17/2014 | Removed from public ministry in 2003 after allegations of child sexual abuse were deemed credible during local diocesan investigations. |
| Fr. Donald J. Hayden | 1965 | 1993 (Leave of Absence) | 5/14/2011 | Formally removed from parish assignments in 1993. The allegations of sexual abuse against minors were formally recognized by the Diocese on their 2019 public disclosure tracking. |
| Fr. Raymond M. Kelly | 1959 | 2002 (Placed on leave) | 10/19/2015 | Suspended from ministerial functions in 2002 due to formal misconduct complaints involving minors. He remained out of ministry until his death. |
| Fr. Joseph P. Landi | 1947 | 1992 (Retired) | 7/3/1997 | Retroactive complaints involving historical child sexual abuse during his decades of active parish service led to his inclusion on the 2019 list of credibly accused. |
| Fr. Arthur J. LeBlond | 1953 | 1994 (Leave of Absence) | 6/30/2005 | Stripped of his faculties and placed on leave in 1994 when allegations of child sexual exploitation were brought to the attention of church authorities. |
| Fr. Paul J. Lefebvre | 1973 | 2002 (Suspended) | Living | Placed on administrative suspension in 2002 following severe allegations of sexual abuse against minor victims. He has remained barred from exercising priestly ministry. |
| Fr. Raymond A. Letourneau | 1965 | 1993 (Placed on leave) | 4/16/2000 | Suspended in 1993 amid child abuse investigations. He passed away several years later without returning to active ministry. |
| Fr. Gerald T. Mattano | 1964 | 1992 (Placed on leave) | 4/3/2010 | Placed on mandatory administrative leave in 1992 following credible child sexual abuse allegations. |
| Fr. Robert L. McCarthy | 1963 | 1993 (Suspended) | 9/24/2002 | Removed from public ministry in 1993 as a result of child sexual misconduct investigations. |
| Fr. John W. McDole | 1951 | 1991 (Retired) | 1/24/1993 | Listed publicly as a credibly accused individual following the institutional review of historical minor sexual abuse reports. |
| Fr. Thomas F. O’Brien | 1960 | 1994 (Placed on leave) | 12/12/2005 | Removed from active parish duties in 1994 when reports of sexual assault against children were verified internally. |
| Fr. Richard C. Peterson | 1966 | 2002 (Suspended) | 3/28/2008 | Removed from assignment and suspended in 2002 due to multiple credible complaints of child sexual abuse. |
| Fr. Antonio P. Paiva | 1970 | 1993 (Placed on leave) | 9/24/2012 | Suspended and placed on indefinite leave in 1993 after credible complaints of child sexual abuse were brought to the attention of the chancery. |
| Fr. Roger L. Plante | 1960 | 2002 (Suspended) | 12/29/2013 | Removed from active ministry and stripped of faculties in 2002 during a wave of historical minor abuse cases processed by the Diocese. |
| Fr. Norman J. Proulx | 1968 | 2002 (Suspended) | Living | Placed on permanent administrative suspension in 2002 following severe, validated allegations of sexual abuse against minors. |
| Fr. James W. Reilly | 1957 | 1993 (Retired) | 12/28/1998 | Formally named on the 2019 Diocesan list after a retroactive investigation into minor child abuse claims confirmed allegations spanning his active assignments. |
| Fr. James W. Reilly | 1962 | 2002 (Placed on leave) | 11/12/2014 | Removed from active duty in 2002 due to verified allegations of historical child sexual exploitation. |
| Fr. Raymond F. Rossignol | 1955 | 1994 (Leave of Absence) | 6/11/2006 | Suspended from public ministry and placed on leave in 1994 when allegations of child sexual misconduct were confirmed to be credible. |
| Fr. John V. Saniuk | 1976 | 2002 (Suspended) | Living | Placed on administrative suspension from active duties in 2002 following multiple verified complaints of child sexual abuse. |
| Fr. Joseph T. Shea | 1951 | 1993 (Retired) | 5/14/2001 | Listed retroactively by the Diocese as a credibly accused individual following the institutional verification of child sexual exploitation claims. |
| Fr. Arthur A. Sullivan | 1956 | 1994 (Placed on leave) | 8/3/2012 | Stripped of ministerial faculties and placed on leave in 1994 due to credible sexual misconduct allegations involving minors. |
| Fr. Robert J. Sullivan | 1963 | 1993 (Leave of Absence) | 2/22/2016 | Removed from active parish assignment in 1993 amid ongoing local investigations into child abuse. |
| Fr. Gerald L. Surtel | 1964 | 1993 (Suspended) | 11/24/2007 | Suspended from all priestly functions in 1993 when multiple reports of child sexual exploitation were verified by church investigators. |
| Fr. Robert L. Tousignant | 1951 | 1960 (Suspended); Laicized 1967 | 5/27/1987 | Originally sent to a treatment center in New Mexico in 1960. He was briefly returned to ministry until a permanent 1965 suspension. Formally laicized in 1967. The 2026 AG report notes he was accused of sexually abusing multiple altar boys (ages 12-15) during the mid-to-late 1950s in Woonsocket and Pawtucket parishes. |
| Fr. Raymond J. Valerio | 1971 | 2002 (Suspended) | Living | Permanently suspended from active church duties in 2002 following verified, multiple accounts of child sexual misconduct. |
| Fr. Robert L. Vandal | 1966 | 1994 (Placed on leave) | 10/18/2008 | Removed from assignment and placed on administrative leave in 1994 following credible minor sexual abuse reports. |
| Fr. John P. Walsh | 1954 | 1993 (Retired) | 4/30/1997 | Added retroactively to the 2019 Diocesan list after an evaluation of historical child sexual abuse claims confirmed misconduct during his time in ministry. |
| Fr. Ronald A. Woods | 1968 | 2002 (Suspended) | Living | Placed on administrative suspension and barred from ministry in 2002 due to multiple credible child sexual abuse allegations. |
| Fr. Louis M. Diogo | 1946 | 1993 (Retired) | 4/4/2015 | Native of the Azores who arrived in the U.S. in 1954. He was retired in 1993 immediately after his cousin notified the Diocese that he had sexually abused both her and her sister during their childhood. |
| Sister Mary Claudine | N/A (RSM) | N/A | Unknown | A religious sister belonging to the Sisters of Mercy. Her name was formally included in the Diocese’s historic $13.5M mass settlement in September 2002, which resolved civil claims regarding minor sexual abuse. |
| Fr. Brendan Smyth | 1951 (OPraem) | Sent to multiple treatment centers | 8/22/1997 | Norbertine priest originally from Ireland who operated internationally, including assignments in Rhode Island. Believed to have abused over 50 children. He was sent to treatment four times between 1968 and 1990 before being criminally convicted in 1995 and 1997, ultimately dying in a Northern Irish prison. |
| Father Richard Holden | May 23, 1964 | No | Mar. 23, 1985 | Father Richard Holden reportedly sexually abused five boys. Holden reportedly “approached a boy in a sexual manner” while assigned to St. Aloysius Parish in Woonsocket and reportedly abused the other four boys while assigned to St. Vincent De Paul Parish in Coventry. Diocesan officials were not notified of any of the allegations against Father Holden until after his death in 1985. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline to file a clergy abuse claim in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island’s current statute of limitations for childhood sex abuse claims is 35 years from the time the victim reaches adulthood, meaning victims have until their 53rd birthday to file a lawsuit.
In June 2026, Senators voted to approve an amended bill that would create a two-year “revival window” for previously time-barred claims against institutions accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse. The bill officially passed on June 11, 2026. From July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028 survivors can file a civil lawsuit even if the statute of limitations expired.
Who can be held responsible in a clergy sexual abuse lawsuit?
You may be able to sue multiple parties in a civil child sexual abuse lawsuit, depending on the circumstances of the abuse. It may be possible to take legal action against the individual perpetrator and the institutions or organizations that enabled or covered up the abuse, including the Diocese of Providence.
How much compensation can a survivor of clergy abuse receive?
In 2019, the Diocese of Providence revealed that it had paid over $21 million in settlements to survivors of sexual abuse and misconduct by clergy members. Some clergy sex abuse cases can result in hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars in compensation, but there is no guaranteed amount you can recover. Your compensation will depend on the extent, severity, and length of the abuse you endured, the lengths the Church went to cover it up, and the long-term effects the abuse had on you.
Can I remain anonymous if I file a lawsuit against the Church?
In Rhode Island, it is sometimes possible to file a sexual abuse lawsuit anonymously or under a pseudonym. To file a lawsuit anonymously, the court must grant you a request for anonymity, which is not uncommon in cases involving child sexual abuse.
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