Overview
- Mayor Thomas P. Koch apologized after saying on WBZ that the Catholic Church’s clergy abuse crisis was mostly “homosexual issues, not pedophilia.”
- Survivor advocates and lay Catholic groups condemned the remarks as false and harmful, noting research such as the 2004 John Jay report that put the average victim age at 12.6 years.
- Attorney Mitchell Garabedian said there is no evidence for Koch’s claim and plans to invite the mayor to meet survivors to learn from their experiences.
- At a Quincy School Committee meeting, Koch said he meant most cases involved post‑puberty same‑sex abuse and a small share were pedophilia, comments that drew further criticism from educators and LGBTQ leaders.
- The flap unfolded as a First Amendment lawsuit over two Catholic saint statues at the new public safety building remains pending in Norfolk Superior Court and as a ballot challenge to Koch’s 79% pay raise advances, with a Boston Herald editorial urging his resignation.