Abuse while being treated

B O S T O N, March 2002 —

A Roman Catholic priest who was suspended for molesting children is accused in a lawsuit of sexually abusing a
teen-age boy at a treatment center for wayward clergy.

The Rev. Ronald H. Paquin served at parishes in Methuen and Haverhill from 1973 to 1990 when he was suspended
by the archdiocese and sent for treatment. He denies the new allegations.

At Our Lady's Hall in suburban Milton, one of the centers where he was sent, a teen-age boy visited him and was
molested by the priest in his room "on numerous occasions" in 1990 and 1991, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday
in Middlesex Superior Court. The boy was 14 and 15 at the time.

"I just find it difficult to believe that given what's known about pedophilia that they would allow this to happen and be
so lacking in control that they would allow a young boy to come up to this man's room when he's being treated for
this," plaintiff attorney Jeffrey Newman said Wednesday.

The lawsuit names Paquin and the archdiocese as defendants. Four previous lawsuits involving Paquin were settled
by the archdiocese.

Donna Morrissey, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese, did not return a call seeking comment Wednesday. She told
The Boston Globe she was uncertain what type of supervision is in place at Our Lady's Hall because the facility's
director was away and could not be reached.

Paquin, 59, who lives in Malden, has an unlisted telephone number and could not be reached for comment
Wednesday.

In an interview with the Globe, Paquin described his accuser as a "close friend" whom he had known for "a long
time."

He denied that he and the boy had been sexually involved and refused to comment when asked whether the boy had
ever visited him at Our Lady's Hall.

In an interview with the Globe in January, Paquin admitted that he had molested boys in Methuen and Haverhill. He
insisted the abuse stopped when he was placed on sick leave in 1990.

The scandal over sex abuse in the church has spread nationwide since January. Dozens of priests out of more than
47,000 nationwide have been suspended or forced to resign, and priests' names have been turned over to
prosecutors.

A Florida bishop is the highest-ranking clergyman brought down by the scandal.