Key Takeaways
- Father Peter Scagnelli was publicly identified in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sex Abuse in the Diocese of Providence.
- According to the report, the Diocese received nine separate complaints against Scagnelli; seven of those while he was alive.
- Scagnelli remained an ordained priest, receiving Diocesan compensation for over 20 years, even after a 1995 finding that three of the complaints were credible.
- Bishop Thomas Tobin paused his laicization in 2016, citing Scagnelli’s terminal illness and writing, “God will resolve it for us.” Scagnelli died the following year, never laicized.
Who Was Father Peter Scagnelli?
Father Peter J. Scagnelli was ordained in 1976 and spent his active ministry at parishes in Warwick, Bristol, and Woonsocket before being suspended in 1994, when he was in his mid-40s. He died in 2017 at age 68.
Scagnelli is identified on the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report and was added to the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy in 2019. According to the report, his known victims include six boys, ages 11 to 17, a young man in his early 20s, and a 24-year-old college student, abused between 1977 and 1995. (Appendix A, p. 317)
Father Peter Scagnelli Assignment History
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, Scagnelli served at:
- 1975–1977: St. John the Evangelist Church, Slatersville, and St. Ann Church, Providence
- 1977–1981: St. Timothy Church, Warwick
- 1981–1988: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Bristol; Roger Williams University; St. Mary of the Bay Church, Warren; Cathedral of SS. Peter & Paul, Providence
- 1988–1991: Sacred Heart Church, Woonsocket, and the Diocesan Office of Worship and Liturgy
- 1991–1994: St. Anthony Church, Woonsocket, then sabbatical at St. Anselm Abbey, Manchester, New Hampshire
- 1994: Suspended on leave
The Allegations Against Father Peter Scagnelli
Complainants across three parishes and more than 15 years described the same pattern: Scagnelli inviting boys to sleep in his bed at the rectory, then molesting them.
At St. Timothy’s in Warwick, three boys said Scagnelli abused them between 1977 and 1982. One recalled Scagnelli forcing him to perform oral sex after inviting him to sleep over; another described a 1979 trip to see Pope John Paul II in Boston, where Scagnelli spilled wine on his lap and insisted on removing his pants in a bathroom. A third said the abuse escalated to Scagnelli masturbating in front of him, once telling him, “It’s Wednesday. I don’t have to wear underwear on Wednesday.”
That complainant said he and a friend confronted Scagnelli directly, after which the friend’s father warned Scagnelli to leave the parish within 30 days or he would go to the Bishop; Scagnelli was transferred shortly after.
At Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Bristol, three more complainants, including a 15 year old altar boy raped over five or six years and a young man abused during an overnight stay at the rectory, said Scagnelli abused them between 1981 and 1987. This period overlapped with the arrest of Father William O’Connell, who abused children at a nearby Bristol parish; one complainant said he overheard the pastor warn Scagnelli not to bring boys upstairs anymore, from his hiding place under Scagnelli’s own desk.
A boy at Sacred Heart in Woonsocket said Scagnelli abused him for three years starting in 1988 after inviting him to escape domestic violence at home by sleeping at the rectory; an arbitrator later awarded him $25,000. A young man studying to become a monk at St. Anselm College said Scagnelli sexually assaulted him in 1994 or 1995 after a night of drinking, at Scagnelli’s parents’ Massachusetts home.
Why Father Peter Scagnelli Was Never Criminally Charged
Scagnelli was never criminally charged. The Rhode Island State Police and the Attorney General’s Office concluded in 1994 that they had enough evidence to convict him on one complaint but declined to pursue it because the statute of limitations had already run. A Diocesan compliance director separately misidentified one victim’s abuser as Father Barry Meehan in a 2021 letter to State Police, later correcting the error to Scagnelli.
Civil Litigation Against Father Peter Scagnelli
Public records reviewed for this profile show one arbitration award, $25,000 paid to the Sacred Heart complainant in 2005, but no lawsuit against Scagnelli specifically. Rhode Island’s expanded statute of limitations may still allow other survivors to pursue civil claims against the Diocese.
Support for Survivors of Clergy Sexual Abuse
If you or someone you love was sexually abused by Father Peter Scagnelli, our firm is here to help.
Recent changes to Rhode Island law have created an opportunity for survivors to pursue civil claims that may have previously been barred by the statute of limitations.
At Andreozzi + Foote, we represent survivors of clergy sexual abuse across the nation. Our team takes a trauma-informed approach to every case, ensuring survivors are heard, supported, and empowered throughout the legal process.
If you were abused by Father Scagnelli or another religious leader, we encourage you to contact us today to learn about your legal options.
Every consultation is free and completely confidential.
Image sources: Father Peter Scagnelli, via BishopAccountability.org. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 141 State Street, Bristol, RI, © Google, Google Business Profile.
