In the US state of Massachusetts, more than 270 Catholic clergy committed sexual abuse against children over the course of decades. According to the investigation, their victims numbered nearly a thousand children across three dioceses in the state. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

The data is contained in an investigation report published by state Attorney General Andrea Campbell, according to Reuters.

Which dioceses the report covers

The report covers the Catholic dioceses of Fall River, Springfield and Worcester. It became the first full public report on cases of abuse and the systemic failures that allowed them to continue for more than half a century.

According to Campbell, diocesan leadership knew about what was happening for years, but "too often they protected the reputation of the church rather than children."

"Behind each of these numbers is a child whose safety was violated, a family whose life was changed forever, and a person who survived the trauma of this abuse and carried its consequences for years, and in many cases decades," Campbell said.

Most cases occurred before 2002

Most of the identified cases occurred before 2002.

The Diocese of Worcester said it would study the findings of the investigation.

In its statement, it says the report will be reviewed "to determine any additional improvements that can be made to assist victims of past abuse and to further strengthen efforts to ensure the safety of children."

Calls for reforms and new laws

Campbell said the investigation's findings show the need for reforms within the dioceses and new laws to support survivors. In particular, she advocated for abolishing the statute of limitations for civil claims related to childhood sexual abuse.

The 2002 scandal

A large-scale scandal over abuse in the Catholic Church erupted in 2002 after an investigation by The Boston Globe. The newspaper revealed how the leadership of the Boston Archdiocese systematically concealed cases of sexual abuse by priests.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning publications led to investigations in other countries and the adoption of a number of reforms in Massachusetts.