Paul Shanley is an ex-Priest who was defrocked by the Vatican in 2004 after being named as one of the sex offenders in the Boston priest sex scandal. Several men who were molested or raped by him came out and gave testimony against him. The sex offender came under the radar of the law enforcement after he raped a boy at a Newton Parish, which resulted in his arrest. He was subsequently sentenced to serve 12-years in prison by the prosecutors.
Shanley gets released
On Friday, July 28, after serving his full 12-year-term, the 86-year-old defrocked priest was Released from Bridgewater’s Old Colony Correctional facility.
He is now going to stay in a multi-facility unit in the town of Ware, which is a few miles away from Boston.
Residents voice their concerns over children's safety
People have voiced concerns as the multi-facility unit which he is going to call home is located right across a studio that teaches dance to kids as young as 2. The owner of the studio stated that she would be taking all the safety measures and precautions to keep the children who visit the studio safe from the accused pedophile.
On what grounds was he released?
Shanleys’ attorney, Robert Shaw Jr. understands why the people are concerned about their children’s safety but has deemed Paul harmless because of his age and poor health. Paul was released from the prison after serving his term when state-hired psychologists evaluated him.
They reported that it was no longer required to hold him in custody under the state’s sexually dangerous person law.
There are speculations over the release as he is a Level 3 sex offender. The probability of such people committing the same crime is highly likely. The residents of the locality are concerned over their children’s safety even though the police department in Ware is trained to handle sex offenders.
Paul is the twentieth such person who has moved to Ware and has been warned to not interact with children below 16 years of age.
The police department has put up posters to inform people about him staying in the town. They assert that they are ready to protect the town‘s residents.
Concerns of the victims
Mitchell Garabedian, the attorney who represents all the men who were molested or raped by Paul, said that he shouldn’t have been let out and placed in a community which was surrounded by children.
Instead, the prosecutors should have sent him to a hospital where he could receive proper mental treatment and care. He also said that the two psychologists who were hired by the state did not personally interview him, but just evaluated his files.
