BERKSHIRE (MA)
Berkshire Eagle
July 22, 2019
By Larry Parnass
A retired judge will review a Chicopee man’s allegation that former Bishop Christopher J. Weldon subjected him to sexual abuse in the 1960s.
The Springfield diocese announced Monday that Peter A. Velis, a retired Superior Court judge, will begin work immediately to investigate reports from a former altar boy that Weldon not only assaulted him, but facilitated his abuse and that of other children by other local clergy.
Mark Dupont, spokesman for the diocese, said the decision to seek outside help in assessing the allegations against Weldon stemmed in part from disagreement internally about the Chicopee man’s credibility.
“Given the recent public disagreement between this victim and the Diocesan Review Board about the description of the allegations and findings of the board, Bishop Rozanski felt that, in this situation, turning this matter over to an independent and outside party was both warranted and the most prudent course of action,” Dupont said in a statement.
Dupont said the Most Rev. Mitchell T. Rozanski made the call to seek help from Velis.
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