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  Maine Man Sues Priest, Says He Was Abused As Boy

By Diego Ribadeneira
Boston Globe
April 8, 1997

A Maine carpenter has filed suit against a Roman Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Boston, charging that the cleric sexually molested him when he was a boy growing up in Framingham.

In a suit filed last week in Suffolk Superior Court, Drew Fales, now 45, charged that the Rev. Robert Barrett fondled him repeatedly from 1967 through 1968 when Barrett was assigned to St. George's Church in Framingham.

During those two years, Fales was a member of the St. George's swim team, which Barrett coached. The alleged molestation, which included Barrett rubbing Fales's genitals, occurred in Fales's home, Barrett's car, and on field trips to Maine, the suit alleges.

Fales, who now lives in Waldo County, claims that the Archdiocese of Boston should have known that the priest was "of bad character and reputation and unable to properly interact with minors," according to the suit.

Archdiocese officials said they would not comment on a pending lawsuit. Barrett, who is not assigned to a parish and lives in Waltham, could not be reached for comment.

This is the second time in recent months that a Boston-area priest has been accused of sexual misconduct. More than 30 people have sued the Rev. John J. Geoghan, a retired priest, accusing him of molesting them as children in at least five Greater Boston parishes, starting shortly after his ordination in 1962.

 
 

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