How Fall River diocese investigates sexual abuse reports: 'We take these things seriously'

FALL RIVER — The trauma from being abused by a faith leader can be devastating — the humiliation, fear, anger, and loss of trust in someone meant to embody goodness. The Diocese of Fall River’s Carolyn Shipp said her job is to support victims any way she can.

“We want people to know that we take these things seriously, and that we do care,” said Shipp, a licensed clinical social worker and the Catholic diocese’s director of the Office of Safe Environment. “We want our parishes and our schools to be safe.”

Shipp leads a team within the diocese that investigates allegations of inappropriate conduct and sexual abuse, including the recent complaint that led the diocese to place on leave the Rev. Jay Mello, formerly pastor of St. Michael and St. Joseph parishes in Fall River. Mello has denied the accusation.

While the diocese cannot comment on any ongoing investigations, Shipp outlined how their investigations work.

"The goal is to have a culture of prevention in the diocese,” she said.

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How does the church prevent abuse?

The diocese has been embroiled in scandal as priests have been accused of, and convicted of, unspeakable crimes against children and adults in their ministry. It maintains a list of clergy credibly accused of abuse from 1899 to the present.

The Diocese of Fall River is an extensive territory — Bristol County, three towns in Plymouth County, and the whole of Cape Cod and the Islands. Last year, she said, the diocese had just over 7,900 active clergy, employees and volunteers. All have undergone Criminal Offender Record Information checks and safety training. They’ve done the same for 35,000 people in the last decade, she said.

"It's not just if your ministry relates to kids," Shipp said. “Anybody who’s going to volunteer or work in the diocese in any capacity is expected to do a criminal background check, to do Safe Environment training and to agree to a Code of Conduct.”

The training teaches people to recognize abuse and report it. It’s not only for use within the church.

“Even lectors, eucharistic ministers. Anybody who’s participating in a volunteer capacity,” Shipp said. “Sometimes people may not be excited to do this training just to be a lector, but we always say ... do you have grandkids, do you have other kids in your life that this information might be helpful to?”

Each year, about 12,000 to 15,000 diocese children learn the Circle of Grace curriculum — “our way of teaching them how to know what appropriate physical, emotional, spiritual boundaries are, and what to do if somebody violates that,” Shipp said.

In previous decades, priests accused of misconduct or abuse were sometimes shifted from one parish to another, including infamous ex-priest James Porter. Shipp said the chancery in Fall River maintains all CORI records, and all parishes connect to that system.

“So that has eliminated, I think, a lot of hopping around that could happen before you had a comprehensive database," she said.

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How does the church respond to accusations of abuse?

Complaints can reach the Office of Safe Environment in multiple ways — an email to Shipp (cshipp@dioc-fr.org) or call to the office (508-985-6508), anonymous voicemails. Sometimes people will confide in a priest, deacon or Catholic school official, who relays the message. The diocese this year implemented an online system called Awareity people can use to log incidents.

However a complaint arrives, Shipp said, it's taken seriously.

• Allegations of minor abuse by anyone are reported immediately to the Department of Children and Families. The diocese does not investigate until a law enforcement investigation is complete first.

• If a clergyman is accused of abusing a victim who was a minor at the time but is now an adult, those cases are reported to the District Attorney’s Office, and again the legal process plays out first. If the clergyman is in active ministry, he is placed on leave.

• If the victim is an adult, Shipp said, “Our policy is that ... we’re going to encourage them and support them in reporting to law enforcement if that is their choice. But if they choose not to, we are not going to report for them.”

According to the diocese, Mello's accuser is not a minor. They have not filed a police report.

Critics of the church’s handling of sexual abuse cases, including attorney Mitchell Garabedian and Robert Hoatson of Road to Recovery, have urged adult victims of clergy abuse to report all incidents to police. In remarks outside the chancery in June, Garabedian suggested also that, since crimes are being alleged, the diocese should also report adult incidents as a rule.

Shipp has a different view. “I really see the value in giving the victim in those cases the voice to choose, the power to choose,” she said. “We will support them, and I will offer to go with them to the police if that’s something they want to do.”

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She said some adult victims are reluctant to involve police because of what a criminal investigation might mean for others in their lives — or for other victims not ready to come forward.

“I have had conversations with victims who have said 'I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to blow up my life that way,’” she said. “I think it’s important where we can give them power to give them that power.”

Reports and conclusions

Shipp said allegations are investigated by Tom Mauretti, a retired Fall River police detective, sometimes working with investigative firm Matthews and Matthews. An investigation, with follow-up interviews, finding witnesses, record-gathering and so on, can be complicated and protracted — particularly since the diocese has no legal authority to subpoena witnesses or obtain testimony.

A comprehensive report — Shipp indicated length by holding thumb and forefinger over an inch apart — is delivered to Bishop Edgar da Cunha. In cases involving minors, the report is sent to the Ministerial Review Board for executive session review, though da Cunha can send the board adult cases as well, Shipp said. The board is a group of laypeople and clergy who, according to the diocese, “serve as a confidential, consultative body to advise the bishop regarding alleged misconduct by clergy.”

Shipp said the bishop and the board collaborate to make recommendations based on the findings.

“We have a lot of lay expertise in addition to the clergy,” Shipp said, “and I would say Bishop da Cunha really leans on that.”

Counseling for clergy abuse victims

In all cases, and as soon as a complaint is made, Shipp said, the department offers to support and counsel the victim. That can mean everything from finding therapists to assisting with insurance co-pays to simply being there with encouragement.

“Some victims want a fair amount of contact with me throughout the process. They find that supportive. Some, less so," Shipp said. “I really just try to gauge that based on what’s helpful to them.”

The victim at the center of Mello’s case, and whose complaint compelled the diocese to remove Mello from active ministry, told The Herald News through an intermediary that their investigation is being taken seriously and that so far they are appreciative of the support they’ve received from the diocese in this matter.

Shipp said she understands public skepticism of diocesan investigations, “given the failures of the church of the past,” but said this process aims to center the victims’ needs.

“We’re always going to err on the side of protection,” she said.

To report an incident of abuse within the diocese, visit the diocese website, call 508-985-6508, or email cshipp@dioc-fr.org.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Clergy sex abuse reports: How the Fall River diocese investigates