If you were harmed by a priest, deacon, or other member of the clergy in Rhode Island, you deserve to be heard, believed, and supported. At Horowitz Law, we are a trauma-informed law firm that stands with survivors, and as a Rhode Island clergy sexual abuse lawyer team, we are ready to help you understand the new revival window that finally reopens the courthouse doors.
For decades, our attorneys have represented survivors of clergy and diocesan sexual abuse across the country, holding powerful institutions accountable in civil court.
You do not have to carry this alone, and you do not have to decide everything today. We offer a free, confidential consultation, and there is never a fee unless we win. When you are ready, call us at 888-283-9922. We are here to listen.
Beginning July 1, 2026, victims of sexual abuse by priests of the Diocese of Providence can seek justice through the courts. For many survivors, decades passed before they were able to fully process their trauma and come forward. This two-year revival window acknowledges that reality and provides a path toward accountability, truth, and healing. The Horowitz Law team is filing lawsuits and putting its decades of experience and resources into helping these Rhode Island survivors get justice.
— Adam Horowitz, Managing Partner, Horowitz Law
What Is Rhode Island’s Two-Year Revival Window?
Rhode Island’s revival window is a two-year period, running from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028, when survivors of childhood sexual abuse can file civil claims that were once barred by the statute of limitations. For many people across the state, this is the first real chance in decades to seek justice through the courts.
The window was created by Senate Bill 2616 (S-2616a) and its House companion, H-7200a. The new law lets survivors bring previously time-barred claims against the institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up abuse.
In general, you may be able to come forward during this window if your childhood sexual abuse claim had already expired under the old deadlines, and your claim involves an institution or supervisor that failed to protect you.
Because eligibility depends on the facts of your life and the details of what happened, the safest step is to have your situation reviewed privately and without pressure.
A few points help explain who the window is meant for:
- It applies to survivors of childhood sexual abuse whose civil claims had expired under Rhode Island’s prior statute of limitations.
- It allows claims against institutions and organizations that allegedly enabled, ignored, concealed, or failed to prevent the abuse.
- It does not reopen cases that have already reached a final court judgment, since the law preserves prior rulings of the courts.
- It is temporary, and it closes for good on June 30, 2028.
If any of these points sound like your story, talking with our Rhode Island clergy sexual abuse lawyer early gives you time to understand your options before the deadline arrives.
Who Can Be Held Accountable Under Rhode Island’s Clergy Abuse Law?
The institutions that allowed abuse to happen can be held accountable, not just the individual who caused the harm. That is the heart of this law, and it is why a Diocese of Providence sexual abuse lawsuit can now reach the organization itself.
Often, abuse continued because an institution looked away despite warning signs, prior complaints, or known risks. When that happens, the organization can share responsibility for the harm. Several long-standing legal principles help explain why.
How Can an Institution Be Responsible for What a Priest Did?
An institution can be responsible because the law recognizes that organizations have duties to the children in their care. When a diocese or other entity ignores those duties, survivors may be able to pursue the institution directly. These are some of the theories our team uses when we hold institutions accountable:
- Negligent supervision: an institution that failed to properly oversee a known or suspected abuser may be liable for the harm that followed.
- Negligent hiring or retention: an organization that placed or kept someone in a position of trust despite red flags may bear responsibility.
Each of these theories looks at what the institution knew, what it did, and what it failed to do, which is why gathering records and history matters so much in these cases.
How Far Back Can Your Claim Reach?
The revival window reaches back roughly 35 years. The window was built to recognize that survivors often need years or decades before they can come forward.
Under Rhode Island’s prior law, most survivors had until age 53, or 35 years after turning 18, to bring a civil lawsuit. Once that deadline passed, the courts generally would not hear the claim, no matter how serious it was.
The revival window changes for a limited time. Survivors whose claims had expired can now ask the court to consider them, and the retroactive reach is what allows people abused long ago in Providence, Warwick, West Warwick, and communities across the state to step forward.
Since every situation is different, our Rhode Island clergy sexual abuse attorney will review the timeline of your case with care and explain whether the window may apply to you.
Credibly Accused Clergy of the Diocese of Providence
Below is a list of credibly accused clergy and religious members connected to the Diocese of Providence, compiled from the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence and the Diocese’s own published list of credibly accused clergy.
The Attorney General’s six-year investigation reviewed records dating back to 1950 and documented abuse reported by more than 300 survivors. The law is not limited to claims against priests. Survivors may also bring claims involving abuse by teachers, school administrators, deacons, and nuns, among others.
Seeing these names can be painful, and we share them only to help survivors recognize that they are not alone and that there is a path forward.
The 81 names below are listed with each person’s role:
| Name | Role |
| Father Joseph Abbruzzese | Priest |
| Father John C. Allard | Priest |
| Brother Roger C. Argencourt | Brother (Brothers of the Sacred Heart) |
| Father Daniel Azzarone | Priest |
| Father Robert W. Barnes (a/k/a Br. Peter) | Priest (formerly Brother, De La Salle Christian Brothers) |
| Father Francis Xavier Battel | Priest |
| Father Roger E. Belhumeur | Priest |
| Father Mario Bordignon | Priest (Pious Society of the Missionaries of St. Charles) |
| Father Ronald E. Brassard | Priest |
| Father Dennis Brodeur | Priest |
| Father James Campbell | Priest (Missionaries of the Sacred Heart) |
| Father Robert Carpentier | Priest |
| Brother Vincent Cavanaugh | Brother (De La Salle Christian Brothers) |
| Father Paul Charland | Priest |
| Father Geoffrey Chase | Priest (Order of St. Benedict) |
| Sister Mary Claudine | Religious sister (Sisters of Mercy) |
| Brother Peter Claver | Brother (Sacred Heart Brothers) |
| Father John Crafton | Priest (Society of St. Columban) |
| Father Joseph D’Angelo | Priest |
| Father Anthony A. DeAngelis | Priest |
| Father Normand Demers | Priest |
| Father Alfred R. Desrosiers | Priest |
| Father Paul E. Desrosiers | Priest |
| Father Louis Diogo | Priest |
| Father Charles Dolan | Priest |
| Father John Doran | Priest |
| Father Louis Ward Dunn | Priest |
| Father Michael W. Dziob | Priest |
| Brother Raphael Edes | Priest |
| Father John Joseph Keough Feeney | Priest |
| Father Oscar R. Ferland | Priest |
| Father John F. Ferry | Priest |
| Father Kevin R. Fisette | Priest |
| Father Edmund Fitzgerald | Priest |
| Father John H. Flanagan | Priest |
| Deacon Laurence Gagnon | Deacon |
| Father William Gillooly | Priest |
| Father Bede Gorman | Priest (Order of St. Benedict) |
| Father Timothy J. Gorton | Priest |
| Father Rene Guertin | Priest |
| Father Richard E. Holden | Priest |
| Father James W. Jackson | Priest (Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter) |
| Father Edward J. Kelley | Priest |
| Father Joseph Gerard Raymond Lacasse | Priest (Oblates of Mary Immaculate) |
| Father Michael V. LaMountain | Priest |
| Father Norman Leboeuf | Priest |
| Father Paul Henry Leech | Priest |
| Father Roland M. Lepire | Priest |
| Father Alfred C. Lonardo | Priest |
| Father Philip A. Magaldi | Priest |
| Father Thomas Dente Kofi Manu | Priest |
| Father Robert A. Marcantonio | Priest |
| Father Daniel McCallion | Priest (Legionaries of Christ) |
| Father Joseph G. McCra | Priest |
| Father Robert McIntyre | Priest |
| Father Barry Meehan | Priest |
| Father Richard Meglio | Priest |
| Father Adrien Menard | Priest |
| Father Edmund Micarelli | Priest |
| Father William O’Connell | Priest |
| Father John Francis O’Neil | Priest |
| Father William J. O’Neill | Priest |
| Father John N. Petrocelli | Priest |
| Father John Aquinas Powers | Priest (Order of Preachers / Dominicans) |
| Father Hugh P. Rafferty | Priest |
| Father William J. Raiche | Priest |
| Father Paul F. Reynolds | Priest |
| Father Joseph James Rocha | Priest (Order of Preachers / Dominicans) |
| Deacon Edward Sadowski, Jr. | Deacon |
| Father Alfred Santagata | Priest |
| Father Francis Santilli | Priest |
| Father Peter Scagnelli | Priest |
| Father James M. Silva | Priest |
| Father Brendan Smyth | Priest (Norbertines / Premonstratensians) |
| Father William Tanguay | Priest |
| Father Peter Tedeschi | Priest |
| Father John Tormey | Priest |
| Father Paul Tousignant | Priest |
| Father Biagio Samuel Turillo | Priest |
| Father Armand Ventre | Priest |
| Brother John Walderman | Brother (Irish Christian Brothers) |
A name on this list reflects a credible accusation, and the absence of a name does not mean a claim is impossible. If you were harmed by clergy connected to the Diocese of Providence, whether or not the person appears above, we want the chance to listen and help you understand your options.
Why Is Rhode Island’s Revival Law Valid When Other States’ Laws Were Struck Down?
Rhode Island’s revival law stands on firm ground because the state constitution does not prohibit retroactive laws the way several other states’ constitutions do. That difference is the legal reason this window can survive challenges that defeated similar efforts elsewhere.
Courts in New Hampshire, Maine, Colorado, Kentucky, and Utah struck down comparable revival laws over the past several years. In those states, the constitutions expressly bar retroactive legislation, so the laws could not stand.
Rhode Island is different. Lawmakers also strengthened the bill before passage, preserving prior court judgments and adding a clear process for prejudgment interest, so the law was carefully written to withstand a constitutional challenge while keeping the heart of the opportunity for survivors intact.
How Senate Bill 2616 Became Law
The road to this law was long, and survivors and advocates pushed for years to reach it. The Rhode Island Senate approved the amended bill by a unanimous vote of 37-0 on June 3, 2026, and the General Assembly soon sent it to the governor’s desk.
On June 11, 2026, Gov. Dan McKee signed the legislation into law, joined by survivors and the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee and Sen. Mark McKenney. The proposal followed the Attorney General’s sweeping report on clergy abuse in the Diocese of Providence.
The voices behind this law speak to why it matters so much:
Child sexual abuse is a uniquely terrible crime; one that victims consistently grapple with for years, often decades, before coming forward. It is imperative that we pass this bill to allow victims a reasonable window of opportunity to seek justice.
— Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha
Too many victims have been denied justice for far too long, and powerful organizations that enabled and covered up this horrific abuse have escaped accountability and reckoning for decades.
— Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee, House sponsor and the sister of a survivor
These words reflect a simple truth that guides our work: survivors deserve a real chance to be heard, and institutions that protected their own reputations deserve to answer for it.
Why Survivors Choose Horowitz Law
For more than 25 years, our managing partner, Adam Horowitz, has devoted his career to standing with survivors of sexual abuse and holding institutions accountable. He has represented thousands of survivors nationwide and has been at the forefront of exposing clergy abuse, litigating priest abuse cases against Catholic dioceses across the country.
That history matters when you are considering a Rhode Island priest abuse attorney. We have helped make confidential church records public, and we have won landmark battles over the statute of limitations and the First Amendment in clergy cases. Our team has also secured one of the largest jury verdicts ever recorded for an individual survivor of sexual assault.
We also know that this is about far more than a case. Pursuing justice is not about getting even, and it is not about money for its own sake. It is about accountability, validation, and access to the resources and support that can help you reclaim your life.
When you reach out, you will find a compassionate ear, a dedicated support system, and a legal team that treats you with dignity. To start a free and confidential conversation, contact us at 888-283-9922.
FAQs Answered by Our Rhode Island Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawyers
Below are answers to some of the questions survivors most often ask us about the new Rhode Island law and what it could mean for them.
Do I need to remember every detail to come forward?
No. Many survivors carry only fragments of memory, and that is completely understandable. We will listen at your pace, and our team can help gather records, locate witnesses, and reconstruct the history that supports your story.
Can I still file if my abuser has died or is no longer in ministry?
Yes, in many situations you can. The revival window focuses on holding institutions and supervisors accountable, so a claim may move forward even when the individual who caused the harm has passed away or left the church. We can review whether an institution may share responsibility in your case.
How long do I have to act under the revival window?
The window closes on June 30, 2028, and it will not reopen. Although two years may sound like plenty of time, building a strong case often takes months of gathering records and investigating, so reaching out early protects your options.
Will my case become public if I come forward?
Your first conversation with us is always private and confidential. Many survivors worry about privacy, and we will talk through ways to protect your identity and explain what each step involves before you decide anything.
How much does it cost to talk with a lawyer about a Diocese of Providence sexual abuse lawsuit?
Nothing up front. Your initial case evaluation is free and confidential, and we work on a contingency basis, which means there is never a fee unless we win for you.
What if the person who hurt me is not on the Attorney General’s list?
You may still have a claim. The list reflects credible accusations gathered through one investigation, and it is not the final word on who can be held accountable. If you were harmed, we encourage you to reach out so we can listen and help you understand your options.
Can I sue the Catholic Church in Rhode Island even if the abuse happened decades ago?
In many cases, yes. The reason survivors can now sue the Catholic Church in Rhode Island for older abuse is the revival window’s retroactive reach, which extends back roughly 35 years. We can review your timeline and explain whether the law may apply to you.
Talk With a Rhode Island Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawyer Today
The two-year window will not stay open forever, and the chance it offers is one many survivors waited decades to see. You deserve a team that will treat your story with respect and fight relentlessly for the accountability you are owed.
You took a brave step just by reading this far, and the next step can be a simple, private conversation. Let us help you understand what this new law means for you, on your terms and at your pace.
Reach out to a trusted Rhode Island clergy sexual abuse lawyer at Horowitz Law for a free, confidential consultation. Call us at 888-283-9922, and let us stand with you. It is time to get justice.