Fr. John Tormey
Named publicly as accused by the Diocese on its list 7/1/2019. Noted to have resigned from ministry 3/2/1979 and soon married. Allegations were reported to the Office of the Attorney General in 2002 and to the Diocese in 2003. The women decided not to press charges because they did not want publicity. Tormey denied the allegations. In 12/2018 he filed a defamation suit against the Diocese and Bishop Tobin. Included in the 3/4/2026 RI Attorney General’s Report, which shows Tormey to be the subject of allegations of the sexual abuse over several years in the late 1960s of two girls, who were twin sisters, ages 14-15. Tormey was assigned to St. Margaret Parish in East Providence during the time in question. The alleged abuse included Tormey forcing one of the girls to perform oral sex on him. The women said they called the Diocese when they were in high school to report their abuse. They said they did not hear back but that Tormey “disappeared” for a while. Tormey did take a sabaticcal 1/1973-6/1973 and began work at the House of Affirmation in Worcester MA. The women said they suspected that Tormey also sexually abused other girls.
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