Mitchell Garabedian. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — An attorney who represented dozens of children abused by priests during the height of the clergy crisis in Boston named seven more priests who he says were found credibly accused of pedophilia, yet not publicly identified by the Boston Archdiocese.
Attorney Mitchell Garabedian released the names during a press conference Tuesday.
He said the seven priests are not named on a Boston Archdiocese website that lists publicly-accused priests.
"We're spanning decades of sexual abuse, and there's no end in sight," Garabedian said. "If we've learned anything, history has taught us the Catholic Church cannot self-police when it comes to keeping children safe from sexual abuse, and this is just further evidence."
Among those speaking at the press conference was Nadine Tifft, who said she was sexually abused as a child by Father John Sweeney, and that nothing was done by church investigators after she told them what happened to her.
"I relayed to them what Father Sweeney had done to me," Tifft said. "They listened, they told me that they knew all about him, and that this would be the final nail in his coffin—they would make sure that nothing would be done by him again. They did nothing."
In a statement, the Archdiocese said all allegations were reported to law enforcement. They said the Archdiocese is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of children and young people in their parishes and institutions.
The Archdiocese said that five of the priests were not listed on their website because they are dead. They said a sixth priest has not been active in the ministry, despite being listed on their website.
A seventh, Father Arnold E. Kelley, remains retired, and is now under investigation. The Archdiocese said that Kelley is, in fact, listed on their website as an accused priest.