Paul Richard Shanley | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 25, 1931 |
| Died | October 28, 2020 (aged 89) Ware, Massachusetts, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Roman Catholic priest |
| Known for | Boston clergy sex abuse scandal |
| Criminal charge(s) | Indecent assault and child rape |
| Criminal penalty | 12 to 15 years in prison (served 12) |
| Ecclesiastical career | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| Laicized | 2004 |
Paul Richard Shanley (January 25, 1931[1] – October 28, 2020) was an American Roman Catholic priest who became the center of a massive sexual abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Boston in Massachusetts. Beginning in 1967, the archdiocese covered up numerous allegations of child sexual assault against Shanley and facilitated his transfers to other states.
Shanley was convicted of child rape and removed from the priesthood in 2004. Shanley appealed his conviction in 2007 based on questions about the validity of repressed memories, but his conviction was upheld. Shanley was incarcerated from 2005 until his release from state prison in 2017. He died in 2020.