Father Francis Santilli is one of the most troubling figures named in Rhode Island’s clergy abuse investigation. He served in the Diocese of Providence for over four decades, and during that time, multiple survivors came forward to report that he had sexually abused them as children. Despite those reports, the Diocese allowed him to remain in active ministry for years. If you or someone you love was abused by Father Santilli, you are not alone, and what happened was not your fault. A sexual assault attorney at Sommers Schwartz can help you understand your rights and your options under Rhode Island’s new law.

Table of Contents

• Who Is Father Francis Santilli and What Did the Attorney General Find?
• How the Diocese Treated Survivors Who Reported Father Santilli
• Father Santilli’s Assignment History and the Diocese’s Credibly Accused List
• Rhode Island’s New Child Sexual Abuse Law Opens a Path to Justice
• Why Survivors of Father Santilli Should Act Before the Window Closes
• FAQs About Father Francis Santilli and Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Claims

Who Is Father Francis Santilli and What Did the Attorney General Find?

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha’s investigation identified 75 clergy members, including 61 who were diocesan priests or deacons, who were credibly accused of abusing more than 300 children. Father Francis Santilli was among the priests named in that report, and his case stands out as a particularly serious example of institutional failure.

Dennis Laprade reported in 2014 that Father Santilli sexually abused him when Laprade was an altar boy at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Providence in the 1980s. That was not the first time the Diocese had heard concerns about Santilli. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, a separate complainant had reported in 2012 that Santilli had abused him and his brother, but both the Diocese and the State Police closed their investigations.

When Laprade came forward in 2014, he identified two brothers who had served with him as altar boys, and who he suspected may also have been abused. The Diocese’s records show no evidence that anyone contacted those potential victims. The State Police closed its investigation, finding the complaint was time-barred. Bishop Tobin permitted Santilli to remain in ministry after the Diocesan Review Board determined neither complaint could be sustained.

In 2021, Santilli received a child sexual abuse complaint after serving on Rhode Island’s diocese review board. He stepped down, but remained in active ministry even after receiving additional abuse complaints in 2014 and 2021. Santilli would not be removed until 2022. The Attorney General’s report asked plainly why that action took so long.

How the Diocese Treated Survivors Who Reported Father Santilli

The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report does not just document what Santilli allegedly did. It documents how the Diocese treated the people who came forward. That treatment, according to the report, caused serious additional harm to survivors.

When Dennis Laprade reported his abuse to the Diocese in 2014, the Diocese’s response was deeply troubling. According to the Attorney General’s report, Laprade was told his complaint was a “he said, he said” matter, and he was then asked to take a polygraph examination, which he refused. Laprade later explained that the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution had already expired, and he had nothing to gain from coming forward except to be heard. Instead, he said, the Diocese did nothing but “sweep it under the rug.”

Scott Ross, one of the brothers Laprade had identified, later came forward on his own. He told the Attorney General’s Office that his childhood trauma had “stripped away his innocence” and “stripped away his childhood.” When Ross met with the Diocese’s Director of Compliance in 2022, he was asked multiple times whether he had ever told Santilli to stop. Ross explained that as a young child, he lacked the vocabulary or emotional range to draw such a boundary against an authority figure. He was then asked to take a polygraph examination, which he found “totally inappropriate.” Ross told investigators he felt he was treated like a suspect, and that if he refused the polygraph, “my truth wasn’t real.”

Ross said he was “in a state of shock, profound rage, and contempt” after his meeting with the Diocese. He received no follow-up from the Diocese after reporting. If you recognize yourself in any part of Scott Ross’s experience, please know that your truth is real, and you deserve to be heard without conditions.

Father Santilli’s Assignment History and the Diocese’s Credibly Accused List

Father Francis Santilli was added to the Diocese’s list of credibly accused clergy in 2022, with allegations against him brought in 2012, 2014, and 2021. His placement on that list came only after the Diocese received its third child sexual abuse complaint against him, and only after a criminal investigation had been opened.

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Credibly Accused Clergy list, Santilli’s assignment history within the Diocese of Providence spanned decades. The Attorney General’s report noted that, as of the time the report was published, Santilli had not been canonically penalized or removed from the priesthood. Diocesan records indicated that the Diocese continued to pay Santilli’s salary and benefits, and produced no records showing any monitoring of Santilli following his suspension.

Attorney General Neronha noted that former Providence Bishop Thomas J. Tobin had repeatedly sought leniency for credibly accused priests, recommending that the Vatican not remove them from the priesthood, and instead suggesting “a life of prayer and penance” for each accused priest. Tobin’s 2022 letter to the Vatican about Santilli acknowledged that the accusations were “repugnant,” but also praised Santilli’s four decades of ministry. Attorney General Neronha publicly questioned how those two statements could be reconciled.

The pattern in Santilli’s case, where complaints were received, investigations were closed, and the priest remained in ministry, reflects exactly what the sexual abuse lawyer team at Sommers Schwartz has seen in clergy abuse cases across institutions. Survivors were failed not once, but repeatedly, by the very systems designed to protect them.

Rhode Island’s New Child Sexual Abuse Law Opens a Path to Justice

For many survivors of Father Santilli’s abuse, the statute of limitations had long been cited as a barrier to civil legal action. That barrier has now changed in a significant way. Governor Dan McKee signed legislation amending the statute of limitations for child victim claims of sexual abuse and creating a two-year window for victims to bring otherwise time-barred claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse. The new law takes effect on July 1, 2026.

This law, H-7200a/S-2616a, was sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Carol Hagan McEntee and Senator Mark McKenney. The legislation was sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Carol Hagan McEntee (D-Narragansett, South Kingstown) and Sen. Mark McKenney (D-Warwick). The Rhode Island Senate passed the bill 37 to 0, and the House passed it 68 to 4, showing overwhelming bipartisan support for survivors.

The new law establishes a two-year civil “revival window” that opens from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2028. During this 24-month period, survivors can file civil suits even if the statute of limitations on their claims had previously expired. This is a limited window. Once it closes, claims that were previously time-barred may be permanently lost.

In 2023, the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled that the 2019 law only applied to suits against individual perpetrators, not the institutions or supervisors who enabled them. The new 2026 law directly addresses that gap. It specifically creates a path for survivors to bring claims against institutions, like the Diocese of Providence, that are accused of enabling or covering up abuse. This matters enormously for survivors of Father Santilli, because the Diocese’s own conduct in handling complaints is now squarely within the scope of what the law allows courts to examine.

Why Survivors of Father Santilli Should Act Before the Window Closes

The two-year revival window created by H-7200a/S-2616a is real, but it is not permanent. On July 1, 2026, the first wave of clergy sex abuse lawsuits hit Rhode Island Superior Court. July 1 is just the first day in a two-year revival window the General Assembly created for long-ago victims to file civil claims against their abusers and the institutions that failed to protect them, which until recently were barred by statutes of limitations and other legal restrictions. Survivors who wait too long risk losing the only legal opportunity they may ever have to hold the Diocese accountable in civil court.

You do not need to have reported the abuse to police. You do not need a prior complaint on file with the Diocese. Civil claims are separate from criminal prosecution, and the fact that prior criminal investigations were closed due to the statute of limitations does not prevent you from filing a civil lawsuit during this window. Among the defendants named in early filings are at least four living priests, including Francis Santilli, along with the Diocese of Providence. The legal process is already underway.

Reaching out for legal help is not a commitment to go to court. It is a conversation. Many survivors find that simply speaking with an attorney helps them understand what happened to them in a new way, and gives them back a sense of control that abuse can take away. The attorneys at Sommers Schwartz approach every conversation with respect, patience, and a genuine understanding of the courage it takes to come forward. If you were abused by Father Santilli or another member of the Diocese of Providence clergy, speaking with a sexual assault lawyer at Sommers Schwartz is a private, no-pressure first step toward understanding your options.

FAQs About Father Francis Santilli and Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Claims

Was Father Francis Santilli ever removed from the priesthood?

Father Santilli was suspended and removed from active ministry in 2022, after the Diocese of Providence received its third child sexual abuse complaint against him. He was added to the Diocese’s Credibly Accused List that same year. However, according to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report, as of the time the report was published, Santilli had not been canonically penalized or formally removed from the priesthood by the Vatican, and the Diocese continued to pay his salary and benefits.

Can I still file a civil lawsuit against Father Santilli or the Diocese of Providence if the abuse happened decades ago?

Yes. Rhode Island’s new law, H-7200a/S-2616a, signed by Governor Dan McKee on June 11, 2026, and effective July 1, 2026, creates a two-year revival window that runs through June 30, 2028. During this period, survivors can bring civil claims that were previously barred by the statute of limitations, including claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up abuse. The fact that criminal prosecution was time-barred does not affect your right to file a civil claim during this window.

What if I came forward to the Diocese before and was dismissed or asked to take a polygraph?

The Diocese’s past handling of your complaint does not affect your legal rights under the new law. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report specifically criticized the Diocese’s use of polygraph requests and its failure to apply trauma-informed investigative techniques. If you were dismissed, discouraged, or mistreated when you reported to the Diocese, that history may actually be relevant to your civil claim. An attorney at Sommers Schwartz can review what happened and explain how it may factor into your case.

Do I need to have reported the abuse to police or the Diocese to file a civil lawsuit?

No. A prior police report or complaint to the Diocese is not required to file a civil lawsuit. Civil claims are legally independent from criminal proceedings. Many survivors never reported their abuse to any authority, for reasons that are entirely understandable, and they are still entitled to pursue civil claims during the revival window. What happened to you was not your fault, and your decision about when and how to come forward belongs entirely to you.

How do I know if Sommers Schwartz is the right firm to handle a claim related to Father Santilli?

Sommers Schwartz is a multi-state law firm with attorneys who represent sexual assault and sexual abuse survivors in Rhode Island. The firm handles clergy abuse claims, including cases against the Diocese of Providence and individual priests. The attorneys at Sommers Schwartz work with survivors in a compassionate, trauma-informed way, and initial consultations are confidential. If you were abused by Father Santilli or another Diocese of Providence clergy member, contacting Sommers Schwartz gives you the information you need to make an informed decision about your next step, with no pressure and no obligation.

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