As early as Friday, one of the most recognizable faces of the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal will walk free. Paul Shanley, the former priest convicted of raping a Sunday School student in the early 1980’s, is scheduled to be released early after only 12 years behind bars. Shanley was accused of abusing dozens of victims throughout his decades long tenure with the church. The Middlesex district attorney attempted to keep the 86-year old behind bars indefinitely by having him declared a “sexually dangerous person.” Doctors said he did not meet the criteria. Once out, Shanley will be monitored by the state’s probation department.
Jim is joined by Paula and Rodney Ford, the parents of one of Shanley’s victims and the founder of the New England Chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, Phil Saviano. He was also the person who alerted the Globe Spotlight team to Paul Shanley after hearing from victims.
