Father Paul Henry Leech is one of the most documented cases of clergy sexual abuse in Rhode Island history. He was a Catholic priest ordained for the Diocese of Providence who was criminally convicted of sexually assaulting children during his time in active ministry. His case is not simply a story about one man’s crimes. It is a story about a church institution that knew, intervened to protect itself, and left children exposed to ongoing harm. If you or someone you love was abused by Father Leech, or by any other member of the Diocese of Providence clergy, you may have legal options right now, including under Rhode Island’s new child sexual abuse law that took effect July 1, 2026.

Table of Contents

• Who Was Father Paul Henry Leech and Where Did He Serve?
• What Father Leech Was Convicted Of and How the Diocese Responded
• The Diocese’s Pattern of Protecting Leech and Other Accused Priests
• Rhode Island’s New Child Sexual Abuse Law and What It Means for Leech Survivors
• What a Civil Claim Against the Diocese of Providence Could Look Like
• How Sommers Schwartz Can Help Survivors of Father Paul Henry Leech
• FAQs About Father Paul Henry Leech and Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Claims

Who Was Father Paul Henry Leech and Where Did He Serve?

Father Paul Henry Leech was born on March 10, 1950, and ordained as a Catholic priest for the Diocese of Providence on September 26, 1980. His active ministry in Rhode Island spanned several parishes over a short but destructive period. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Credibly Accused Clergy list, Leech served at St. Philip Church in Greenville from 1979 to 1980, then at St. Joseph Church in Woonsocket from 1980 to 1983, and finally at St. Jude Church in Lincoln from 1983 to 1984. He was suspended on July 9, 1984.

Leech’s assignment history places him in direct contact with children and families across multiple Rhode Island communities during those years. St. Joseph Church in Woonsocket and St. Jude Church in Lincoln were active parish communities where children regularly participated in religious education, youth programs, and other activities. If you attended either of those parishes during Leech’s tenure, or if your family had any connection to those communities, you may have been exposed to him.

The Rhode Island Attorney General’s March 2026 report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence formally identified Leech among 75 clergy members with credible allegations of sexual misconduct against children. That report accused the Diocese of Providence of a “well-worn pattern” of failing to remove accused priests, and it identified 75 clergy members who sexually abused more than 300 children since 1950. Leech’s case was among the most serious documented in that investigation.

What makes Leech’s case particularly significant is that it did not end with suspicion or allegation. He was criminally convicted. That conviction, combined with the documented institutional response by the Diocese, makes his case a central reference point in understanding how clergy abuse was handled in Rhode Island for decades.

What Father Leech Was Convicted Of and How the Diocese Responded

Father Paul Henry Leech pleaded nolo contendere (no contest) in August 1985 to eight counts of sexually assaulting four boys between the ages of 10 and 16. The abuse occurred between 1979 and 1984, spanning his assignments in Greenville, Woonsocket, and Lincoln. He was sentenced in October 1985 to eighty-six years in prison, but after a plea for leniency was given three years in prison and twelve years’ probation.

What the sentence alone does not reveal is what happened behind the scenes. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s investigation, the Diocese of Providence was deeply involved in Leech’s criminal case from the moment Rhode Island authorities began investigating him. Diocesan records show that the Diocese coordinated Leech’s “emergency” admission to the House of Affirmation, a treatment center in Whitinsville, Massachusetts, in early May 1984, upon learning that Rhode Island investigators had opened a case against him. His priestly duties were not formally suspended until July 9, 1984.

The Diocese did not stop there. It paid for Leech’s criminal defense. A November 1985 invoice from Leech’s defense attorney was addressed to the Diocese’s own attorney, William T. Murphy, who relayed it to Auxiliary Bishop Kenneth Angell. A handwritten note on that invoice shows that Bishop Angell personally approved the payment. In a June 1985 letter to the Vatican while the criminal case was still pending, Bishop Gelineau wrote that through legal counsel the Diocese had made every effort toward plea-bargaining. A diocesan official, Msgr. Salvatore Matano, was present in Judge Orton’s chambers on the morning of Leech’s sentencing. Superior Court Judge John Orton sentenced Leech that same day to 15 years imprisonment, with 12 years suspended and probation.

While Leech was in prison, Auxiliary Bishop Angell wrote a letter to the parole board in support of Leech’s request for early release. That release was granted by early 1987. In 2014, a man told the Diocese that Leech had sexually abused him in 1979 to 1980, and in July 2020, the Diocese received a report that Leech abused a boy in the summer of 1984. Neither case could be prosecuted because of the statute of limitations. Those survivors had no legal recourse, until now.

The Diocese’s Pattern of Protecting Leech and Other Accused Priests

Father Leech’s case did not happen in isolation. He was one of three Diocese of Providence priests criminally charged around the same time for sexually abusing minors. The other two were Father William O’Connell and Father Armand Ventre, indicted in April and July 1985, respectively. All three cases received national news coverage. Attorney General Arlene Violet, the first female attorney general in the United States, prosecuted all three.

The pattern across these cases was consistent. When Rhode Island authorities began investigating, the Diocese moved quickly, not to protect children, but to manage the legal and reputational exposure of the institution. In Leech’s case, that meant coordinating treatment admission, funding his defense, advocating to the Vatican, inserting a diocesan official into sentencing proceedings, and writing to the parole board on his behalf. These were not the actions of a passive bystander. They were the deliberate choices of an institution that placed its own interests above the safety of children.

The Attorney General’s 2026 report confirmed that this pattern extended far beyond Leech. The investigation found that accused priests were repeatedly returned to ministry. Parishioners at receiving parishes were never told why a priest had been transferred. Children in new communities were left unprotected. The Diocese withheld from those communities the details of complaints that had been made, enabling accused priests to again manipulate parishioners’ trust and gain access to children.

A sexual abuse lawyer who understands how these institutional cover-up patterns work is essential when building a civil claim that targets not just the individual abuser, but the organization that enabled and concealed the harm. That institutional accountability is exactly what Rhode Island’s new 2026 law is designed to address.

Rhode Island’s New Child Sexual Abuse Law and What It Means for Leech Survivors

Rhode Island’s legal landscape for child sexual abuse survivors changed significantly on June 11, 2026, when Governor Dan McKee signed H-7200A/S-2616A into law. The law amends the statute of limitations for claims of sexual abuse of a child and creates 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 matters enormously for survivors of Father Leech’s abuse. Many of the people he harmed were children in the early 1980s. Under the old rules, their civil claims against the Diocese of Providence, as an institution, had long since expired. 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.

Why does this matter specifically for claims against the Diocese? In 2019, the General Assembly extended the statute of limitations and gave previously time-barred survivors an opportunity to sue. But 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 closes that gap. Survivors can now bring claims against institutions like the Diocese of Providence for enabling, concealing, or failing to prevent abuse.

The window is real, but it is also finite. All time-barred claims must be filed by June 30, 2028, or they may be forever barred. If you were abused by Father Leech and believed your time had passed, this law may restore your right to seek civil justice. Speaking with a qualified sexual assault lawyer as soon as possible gives you the best opportunity to understand your rights and act within the window.

What a Civil Claim Against the Diocese of Providence Could Look Like

A civil lawsuit related to Father Leech’s abuse is not just a claim against Leech himself. The documented record shows that the Diocese of Providence knew about Leech, funded his defense, advocated for his leniency, and supported his early release. A civil claim can target the institution directly for its role in enabling and concealing the abuse.

Under Rhode Island law, institutions can be held liable when they knew or should have known that a person in their employ or under their supervision posed a risk to children, and they failed to act to prevent harm. The Diocesan records produced to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office show that the Diocese was aware of concerns about Leech’s conduct toward young people. A civil lawsuit can use that institutional knowledge as a foundation for claims of negligent supervision, negligent retention, and civil conspiracy to conceal abuse.

Civil claims serve a purpose beyond financial recovery. They force institutions to answer publicly for what they did. They create a record. They can produce documents that have never been seen before. For many survivors, that accountability, the formal acknowledgment that what happened was real and that the institution bears responsibility, is as meaningful as any monetary outcome.

None of this requires you to have reported the abuse before, to have cooperated with law enforcement, or to have filed anything previously. You do not need a prior criminal case to bring a civil claim. What happened to you was not your fault, and the law does not require you to have done anything in particular to preserve your rights. An experienced sexual assault attorney can review your situation confidentially and help you understand what options are available to you right now.

How Sommers Schwartz Can Help Survivors of Father Paul Henry Leech

Sommers Schwartz represents sexual abuse and sexual assault survivors in Rhode Island and across the country. Our attorneys understand the trauma that survivors carry, often for decades, and we approach every case with the care and respect that survivors deserve. We know that coming forward is one of the hardest decisions a person can make. We also know that the law now gives survivors of Father Leech’s abuse a real and time-limited opportunity to hold the Diocese of Providence accountable.

Our team has the resources to investigate institutional cover-ups, obtain internal church records, and build claims that go beyond the individual abuser to hold the organizations that enabled the harm responsible. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. There are no upfront costs and no financial risk to you for reaching out.

Rhode Island law also allows survivors to file civil claims using a pseudonym, such as Jane Doe or John Doe, in certain circumstances. That means you may be able to pursue justice without your name appearing in public court records. Your privacy matters, and there are legal tools designed to protect it.

The two-year revival window under H-7200A/S-2616A runs through June 30, 2028. That may feel like a long time, but building a strong civil case takes time, and the sooner you speak with an attorney, the better position you are in. If you were abused by Father Paul Henry Leech, or by any other member of the Diocese of Providence clergy at any parish in Rhode Island, please contact Sommers Schwartz today. A confidential consultation costs you nothing, and it could be the first step toward the accountability and healing you deserve.

FAQs About Father Paul Henry Leech and Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Claims

Was Father Paul Henry Leech actually convicted of a crime?

Yes. Father Paul Henry Leech pleaded no contest in August 1985 to eight counts of sexually assaulting four boys, ranging in age from 10 to 16. The abuse occurred between 1979 and 1984 during his assignments at parishes in Greenville, Woonsocket, and Lincoln. He was sentenced in October 1985 and is formally listed on the Diocese of Providence’s Credibly Accused Clergy list, as well as in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese.

Can I still file a civil claim against the Diocese of Providence for Father Leech’s abuse if it happened decades ago?

You may be able to, 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 window for survivors to bring otherwise time-barred civil claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse. This window runs through June 30, 2028. If your prior claim against the Diocese had expired under the old statute of limitations, this law may restore your right to sue. Speaking with an attorney as soon as possible is the best way to understand your specific situation.

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

No. You do not need to have made a prior report to law enforcement, the Diocese, or any other authority to bring a civil claim. Many survivors never reported their abuse, for many understandable reasons, and the law does not penalize them for that. What happened to you was not your fault, and your legal rights do not depend on what you did or did not do in the past. A confidential consultation with an attorney can help you understand your options without any obligation to take further action.

Can my identity be kept private if I file a civil lawsuit?

Rhode Island law allows survivors to file civil claims using a pseudonym, such as Jane Doe or John Doe, in certain circumstances. This means your name may not need to appear in public court filings. Privacy protections vary depending on the specifics of your case, so it is important to discuss this with your attorney early in the process. At Sommers Schwartz, we take your privacy seriously and will explain all available options to protect your identity during any legal proceedings.

Why should I pursue a civil claim now if Father Leech already went to prison?

A criminal conviction punishes the individual offender. A civil lawsuit targets the institution that enabled, concealed, or failed to prevent the abuse. The documented record in Father Leech’s case shows that the Diocese of Providence paid for his criminal defense, advocated for his leniency at sentencing, and wrote to the parole board on his behalf. A civil claim holds that institution financially and publicly accountable for those choices. For many survivors, institutional accountability is a critical part of their healing, and the new 2026 revival window gives survivors a real opportunity to pursue it before June 30, 2028.

More Resources About Clergy Abuse

• Diocese of Providence Clergy Abuse
• Father John Abruzzese
• Father Raymond Allard
• Father Argencourt
• Father Azzarone
• Father Barnes
• Father Battel
• Father Belhumeur
• Father Bordignon
• Father Dennis Brodeur
• Father Campbell
• Father Carpentier
• Father Cavanaugh
• Father Charland
• Father Corbesero
• Father Crafton
• Father D’Angelo
• Father DeAngelis
• Father Louis Demers
• Father Albert Desrosiers
• Father Paul Desrosiers
• Father Diogo
• Father Dolan
• Father Doran
• Father Dunn
• Father Dziob
• Father Edes
• Father Feeney
• Father Oscar Ferland
• Father Ferry
• Father Fitzgerald
• Father Flanagan
• Father Gagnon
• Father Gillooly
• Father Gorton
• Father Guertin
• Father Holden
• Father James Jackson
• Father Edward Kelley
• Father Lacasse
• Father LaMountain
• Father Leboeuf
• Father Lepire
• Father Lonardo
• Father Philip Magaldi
• Father Manu
• Father Normand Marcantonio
• Father Joseph McCra
• Father McIntyre
• Father Meehan
• Father Meglio
• Father Menard
• Father Micarelli
• Father O’Connell
• Father J.F. O’Neil
• Father W. O’Neill
• Father Powers
• Father Rafferty
• Father Raiche
• Father Reynolds
• Father Rocha
• Father Sadowski
• Father Santagata
• Father Francis Santilli
• Father John Scagnelli
• Father Smyth
• Father Tanguay
• Father Tedeschi
• Father Tormey
• Father Tousignant
• Father Turillo
• Father Ventre