Sexual abuse scandal in Hartford archdiocese

The sexual abuse scandal in Hartford archdiocese is a significant episode in the series of Catholic sex abuse cases in the United States and Ireland.

Edward Pipala affair
Bishop Henry J. Mansell allegedly encouraged Edward Pipala, a New York priest who had been treated for pedophilia and barred from working with children, to seek a promotion in 1986. Pipala was later removed from duty and imprisoned for child molestation.

Abuse cases by George Reardon
In October 2009, dozens of patients and their lawyers filed suit against the diocese of Hartford over claims that they were molested by Dr. George Reardon (not a priest) at St. Francis Hospital over an extended period of several decades. Victims's groups claim that the dioceses shares legal responsibility in the cases of abuse.

22 million dollar settlement
In 2005, the Archdiocese of Hartford paid $22 million to settle sexual abuse claims brought by 43 people against 14 priests, the majority of cases occurring in the 1960s and 1970s. Mansell considered the settlement "part of a healing process for the persons whose lives have been severely harmed by the evil of sexual abuse and for the Church itself."

Similar abuse in suffragant dioceses
There have been similar cases of abuse in the suffragant dioceses of the Hartford metropolis, notably in Bridgeport and Providence, where bishops failed to deal with repeated allegations concerning pedophile priests.

New policies against abuse
In response to the abuse scandal, the archdiocese of Hartford has adopted a set of policies designed to prevent future cases of abuse and to train diocesan laypeople and clergy to better respond to allegations of child molestation.