SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) – The leader of the Springfield Diocese stepped up his denial Monday, saying he never said one of his predecessors destroyed files related to sexual abuse by priests.
In a deposition conducted by church lawyers with the media present, Bishop Thomas Dupre said he did not state that former Bishop Christopher Weldon destroyed personnel records before or after his retirement in 1977.
“I never would have said that Bishop Weldon would have destroyed any papers after his retirement or before his death,” Dupre said. “I never would have said that because I don’t know that.”
Dupre’s deposition follows accusations made by the Rev. James Scahill, who earlier this month said Dupre told an advisory council that Weldon had the records destroyed.
Scahill was deposed Monday by a lawyer representing 21 of the 25 people suing the diocese for clergy sex abuse. That testimony was not open to the media, but transcripts of his deposition will likely be made public within 30 days, according to his lawyer, Mary McNally.
