CONNECTICUT
Connecticut Law Tribune
Christian Nolan, The Connecticut Law Tribune
March 25, 2015
Jane Doe No. 2 v. Norwich Roman Catholic Diocese et al.: A Massachusetts woman who claims she was sexually abused by a priest in Norwich over the course of her entire childhood has settled her lawsuit against the diocese for $1.1 million. The woman, known only as Jane Doe No. 2 in court records, claims she was molested about 60 times from age 3 to age 18 by the Rev. Thomas Shea, a former parish priest in the Diocese of Norwich.
Years later she came forward and sued the diocese and its former bishop, Daniel Reilly.
At least 15 young girls claim to have been molested by Shea in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, according to Doe’s lawyers, Kelly and Robert Reardon, of the Reardon Law Firm in New London. Six other victims were prepared to testify that they had been molested by Shea and had complained to church officials but nothing was done about it.
The Norwich Diocese paid $1.1 million to another victim, known as Jane Doe No. 1, in late 2012. The Reardon lawyers represented that woman as well.
Kelly Reardon explained that Jane Doe No. 2 met Shea when he was pastor of St. Stephens Church in Quinebaug in eastern Connecticut. Though she was from Massachusetts, she had family members who were parishioners of the Connecticut church, as it was just over the state line.
Reardon said Shea began inviting himself over to Doe’s parents’ home in Webster, Mass. where he’d kiss and inappropriately touch the young girl. “Her earliest memories are of Father Shea touching her,” said Kelly Reardon.
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