Local
Visiting priest removed in July admits to allegation of abuse

By
Posted: 12/17/2004

As part of plea agreement reached last week, Father Varghese Pereppadan of the diocese of Irinjalakuda, India admitted to sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl inside Our Lady of Presentation Church in Brighton, according to a statement from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.

Father Pereppadan, who was studying in Cambridge and residing at the Brighton parish at the time of the assault on July 28, received one year probation as a result of the agreement. During this time, he is prohibited from having any contact with the victim and any unsupervised contact with minors. If the probationary term is completed without incident, the charges of indecent assault and battery will be dropped.

Father Pereppadan was ordained in 1994 and came to Boston to study in the archdiocese. He was granted faculties served in part-time ministry at Kindred Hospital in Boston and Youville Lifecare in Cambridge.

After the archdiocese received the allegation of abuse in July, Father Pereppadan was removed from public ministry and his residence at the parish in Brighton. The archdiocese also immediately informed legal authorities of the complaint and continued to cooperate throughout the investigation.

“We are deeply saddened by Father Pereppadan’s reprehensible actions toward a young person. It is appropriate that Father Pereppadan admitted to the facts of the complaint and apologized to the victim in court. We are grateful that this matter has been resolved in a way satisfactory to the victim and the victim’s family,” the archdiocese wrote in a statement regarding the court proceedings.

The archdiocese’s Office of Pastoral Support and Outreach has offered assistance and counseling to the victim and the victim’s family.