Boston says 7 percent of its priests accused of sex abuse since 1950

Published: 2004-02-27

BOSTON (CNS) -- In the Archdiocese of Boston, where the clergy sex abuse scandal first exploded in early 2002, approximately 7 percent of the 2,324 archdiocesan priests serving between 1950 and 2003 were alleged to have sexually abused a minor. The archdiocese has spent $120.6 million in settling sex abuse claims through the end of 2003, but only $22.3 million has been recovered from insurance thus far, according to figures released Feb. 26 by Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley of Boston. In all, 162 Boston archdiocesan priests were accused of sexual abuse of a minor in the past 53 years, although that "does not mean that a determination criminally, civilly or canonically has been made regarding the truth or nontruth of the allegation," the archbishop said in a statement. Fifty-eight of those priests are now dead. Also accused were three deacons, 44 religious-order priests and 10 other priests who did not have formal ties to the archdiocese but served there.

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