Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Boston, MA - 1976
- How's that going?
- Mother's ballin' and
the uncle is pissed off.
She's not married?
Divorced, with 4 kids.
I guess the Father
was helping out.
Helping out?
- Hey, Mr. Burke, they're in
the back talking to the Bishop.
And Father?
We put him in the break room.
- Any press?
Some guy from the Citizen
but we sent him away.
None of the big papers.
Let's keep it that way.
Who's that?
Assistant D.A.
It's gonna be hard to keep
the papers from arraignment.
What arraignment?
- You can tell Father Geoghan
it won't be much longer.
Now Sheila, you know what
I'm going to work...
The Church does
serve to community...
But I give you
my personal guaranty...
that I'm going to take Father
out of the parish....
and this will
never happen again.
We'll just be
another moment Paul.
Of course Father.
Now Sheila, I'm going to give
you my personal card.
SPOTLIGH - Losing a good reporter...
...is always tough.
Boston Globe
Offices - July 2001
But losing one
of our best...
Well, to put it this
eloquently as I can.
It's a real
kick in the ass.
But, Robby here
has known Stewart...
...longer than most
of you been alive.
So I'll handed off to him.
- Robby.
Oh, well, thanks Ben.
I think.
Although I take issue...
...with your reference
to my seniority.
I will say that Stewart's
departure is specially...
painful for me, because...
For what?
Stewart, 20 years now?
Stewart's been more
than willing ...
to part with his money
at a poker table.
And, I've got
a kid in college.
Yeah, but I'm
gonna keep playing.
Oh, problem solved.
God speed then.
Now Stewart, I find the...
timing of your departure...
disconcerted.
A corner office...
sits empty.
The new editor
arrives on monday.
So I'm sorry buddy, but...
I got to ask you.
What the hell do you know?
How's the cake?
It's really good.
You saving yours?
No, that's for Mike.
I can't ever eat those things,
- Thank you.
Yeah, yeah.
A FAMILIAR PATTERN
Porter faces Mass. court
as '87 abuse claim arises
- I got more clips from the library.
- Leave 'em right there.
Are you guys doing
a story on the Church?
No, we are not doing
a story on the Church.
Matt. You find anything
on this guy Phil Saviano?
No. Who is he?
He's part of a victims organization.
Kurkjian did a story on him
right after the Porter case.
As of victims organization?
Yeah. It's called SNAP.
It's Survivors Network
of those Abused by Priest.
Chrommy acronym.
- Want me to track him down?
- Yeah, bring him in.
How much longer do you need
to get through the clips?
I mean, a few days,
there's a lot.
- Lisa is still sending it more.
- Ok.
Hey guys, I think I got
another Priest.
Liam Barrett. Molested
some kids in Philly,
and was moved to Boston, did
the same thing and was moved again.
Really?
That sounds like Geoghan.
Is that one of our clips?
Yeah, by our Lance Diego written
in 1987, must have been back...
when he worked on religion.
- Was there any follow?
- Not much, only show one piece.
The Church settled the case.
- Don't you know Jim Sullivan?
- Yeah. Why?
Looks like the Church
bought him an ....
Jesus. Should be Manning
on the ball in field.
- Why do you even
bother with that thing?
- It distracts me from the game.
You know what else
is good for that?
Oh, yeah. Good idea, buy a round.
I'll be right back.
- Anybody want any food?
- A hotdog.
- So you guys making any progress?
- Absolutely, it's a good story.
Why? Because you're another left
catholic pissed off at the Church?
- We got a lot of good stuff.
- Like what?
I'm just watching the game. Omerta.
- They got another priest, Liam Barrett.
- We reported it.
I'm just saying, we did.
Ok, but this guy
was shuffled a lot...
from parish to parish
every few years ...
just like Geoghan and Porter.
I think there's a pattern.
Sounds thin.
What else you got?
Sacha's got another guy from
a victims organization. Phil Saviano.
- From SNAP?
O boy, we reported on him too.
I thought you were
watching a game, Steve.
- That guy is pretty paint up, Mike.
- We did a couple stories on him.
- Guy would not stop writing letters.
- He wants a holy war.
- So, he's not worth talking to?
- Where are you on Garabedian?
I'm working on it.
Robby say Macleish
Did you...hm?
Did you see him
again after that?
Yeah.
Alright, that's good,
let's stop there for now.
Sure.
He said he was a way to make me
more comfortable with my body.
So, what happened after that?
He took off his clothes and
he said I've been so depressed,
but maybe you can cheer me up
and give a blowjob.
classic guy!
- And did you?
- Yeah.
I know what you
must be thinking, like...
why would I ever do that?
To some creepy guy who's
30 years older than me, but...
but we have to understand is that
this is the first time in my life,
that someone told me
that it was ok to be gay.
And it was a priest.
So you had oral sex?
Did you have intercourse?
Yes, not then, but later.
It really messed me up.
I'm sober now, but that,
that was the beginning of it all .
It's very confusing, you know?
To be introduced to
sex like that and then,
and then to be attracted to men.
I'm sorry. I knew I was
gonna do this. Oh I'm sorry.
Don't be sorry.
It's ok Joe, it's ok.
Of course, there is
a Church right there.
And a playground.
Joe, did you ever
try and tell anyone?
- Is it official?
Yeah, I figure it would
help us track down some...
of the priests
that Saviano mentioned.
Maybe find some more victims.
Can we turn on some
more light in here?
I couldn't find the switch.
Do you want to borrow my glasses?
- No, I'm good, I'm good.
- Look, look 1983.
John Geoghan,
Saint Brendan Parish Dorchester.
So, so we can find out...
where any priest is
at any given year?
Yeah, I got him here.
What?
1980, the year Geoghan
was pulled from JP.
Said he's on sick leave.
Come on, it really says that?
Where is, 1991?
- Yeah, here.
- Let's see this.
Barry Liam, I can't read this,
look for Liam Barry there.
1991 is the year they pulled
him of the Charleston abbey.
Burt Liam?
Yeah.
Sick leave.
That's an official designation.
Get this upstairs.
And match...Check on those
priests Saviano gave us.
Robby.
- I'm at the Court House.
- Yeah.
Something's not right here.
Nothing on Shanley either, Sacha.
Ok, thanks.
Yeah, we need to go
talk to Macleish again.
Really? Why?
I was down at
the Court House earlier...
there aren't any records
of any of these settlements.
We dealt directly
with the Church.
We withdraw all but the man letter
and send it to the Chancery.
You never filed anything in Court?
- It's a private mediation.
- So...
this is just you and
the Archdiocese lawyers...
- in a room.
- Correct.
Anyone else?
Occasionally the Church would bring in
another defence attorney to help out.
- You know names?
- No.
No I don't.
So this was all under the table.
There's no paper trail, at all.
The victim has to sign
the confidentiality...
agreement to get the settlement.
The lawyer takes the third and...
the Church sweeps it under the rug.
- Jesus, that's freaking racket.
- It's more complicated than that.
Macleish has got
the duty to client...
to get the best deal he can.
Sure, but how many victims...
do you represent and profit from,
before you say someting?
Garabedian would say none.
And that's why he's taking
these cases to Court.
Because he wants
people to know about this.
I agree.
And legal acts is aside,
Ben, I mean...
operating the way Macleish has,
all the guarantee is that
- Smart ladies.
- Slinte.
- Slinte.
I met your new editor.
- Somebody a decent fella.
- I think he is.
Hey, I had an interesting conversation
with Eric Macleish the other day.
Turns out he's been
settling abuse cases...
with the Archdioceses for years.
You want to talk about this here?
Jim... You said you helped out...
on the Father Barrett as a favor.
That was a loan off?
How many of these cases
you've been involved with?
You know I can't answer
that Robby, it's unethical.
Is that all it is?
So, this...
would be the Robby Robinson
I've always...
heard about, but never met.
Listen, Jimmy.
You want to be on
the right side of this.
This is the Church,
you're talking about Robby.
Look around,
these are good people,
done a lot of good
for this city.
Enjoy the party.
I've been through
a lot these now.
"Sick leave" isn't
the only designation...
they use when they take one...
of these priests
out of the circulation.
They use slew of terms.
Absent on leave...
On assign. Emergency response.
- They work for everything, these guys.
- Except belief.
Sick Leave
Unassigned
unassigned
active
Library is closing!
Library is closing!
O Sullivan, Eugene M.
Treatment Center
Oh shit!
No freaking way.
KIDS.
Stay away from this
house at 276 Pelton Street.
And stay away from
the men who live inside it.
- Talbot?
- Yeah.
- Tivnan?
- Yeah.
- Toma?
- Yeah.
- Turnbull?
- Yeah.
- Walsh?
- Yeah.
- Welsh?
- Yeah.
- Is that it.
- That's it.
Holy shit! Robby?
That's 3 off Sipe estimate,
that's incredible.
Robby!
- How many?
- 87.
87 priests in Boston.
- Call Macleish.
I want to talk to him.
- Ok.
- Can you print it?
- Sure I can.
Jim Sullivan's office?
Yeah, Walter Robinson
for Jim Sullivan.
Tell him it's important, please.
One moment please.
And...
He was one of
the better ones...
He's got wife, kids...
good job.
About 10 minutes
into the conversation...
guy breaks down.
You know, couldn't stop crying.
Said he could never
figure out why...
Father Talbot picked him.
Father Talbot coached
the hockey team.
So...
I guess we just got lucky.
You and me.
Does Jack Dunn
work for the school?
No. He's PR for
the Boston College.
They call him
when they need help.
And Pete Conley,
why was he there?
Good question.
Pete's a bigger lump, but
I called Bill directly...
in this matters.
And when do we
get the documents?
Probably takes common
a few weeks to rule...
and then there's
a redaction process.
I'd say it would be made
public, mid January.
- Ok.
- Alright.
- Thanks Jon.
- You bet.
- Nice work.
- Thanks.
- Metro should run
something, Marty.
- We can't run this one big.
Why wouldn't we?
It's a major
First Amendment victory.
Not to mention you got
an Irish catholic Judge...
ruling against the Church.
- That's a hell of a precedent.
- We don't want the Herald
going deep on this.
Why is that?
- You're gonna have
to step out, Peter.
- I'm not stepping out.
Peter...
- When did you...?
- Couple of weeks ago.
Couple of weeks?
Yeah.
- And you're telling us now?
- These are substantial.
It clearly shows
that Law was negligent.
I need more time.
I wanna keep digging.
- For what? This is
the goddamn story.
It's not the whole story.
Tough shit, we're on
a clock now.
Even if we don't
run Sweeney's rulings...
another paper could find this
Spotlight?
- Mike, can you grab that?
- Yeah, yeah.
They're almost all victims, Robby.
I'm sorry...
This is Sacha Pfeiffer.
I'm sorry, can I...?
Yes you can reach me...
This is Spotlight.
This is Spotlight.
Over the course of 2002, the Spotlight team
published close to 600 stories about the scandal.
249 priests and brother were publicly accused of
sexual abuse within the Boston Archdiocese
The number of survivors in Boston
is estimated to be well over 1,000.
In December 2002, Cardinal Law resigned
from the Boston Archdiocese.
He was reassigned to the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
in Rome, one of the highest ranking Roman Catholic churches
in the world.
Major abuse scandals have been uncovered in the following places: