Key Takeaways
- Father Thomas Dente Kofi Manu was publicly identified in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report in connection with allegations of child sexual abuse;
- Survivors of clergy sexual abuse may have civil legal options against the institutions that enabled abuse.
Who Was Father Thomas Dente Kofi Manu?
Father Thomas Dente Kofi Manu was ordained on July 15, 1973, and served as an extern (visiting) priest from Ghana. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report, he worked summer assignments at St. Mary Church in Bristol and officiated Mass on Prudence Island from approximately 1980 through 2007.
Father Thomas Dente Kofi Manu was publicly identified on the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence. Little else is publicly known about his background. The Report states that he is believed to have died in 2023.
The Allegations Against Father Thomas Dente Kofi Manu
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report, a woman alleged that Father Manu sexually abused her over several summers when she was a teenager. Manu first allegedly groped and kissed her after a tennis lesson in a parish rectory in 1980, sexually abused her on several occasions in 1982, and then raped her in 1984.
According to the Report, in 1982, Manu “told her that all the priests in Africa ‘have women,’ even the bishop, and that he wanted her to live with him in Africa, and that they had a special bond.” He also told her that “no one would believe her if she told anyone.”
Later on, “she and Manu exchanged letters in which [he] urged her to come to Africa and told her that he wasn’t finished with her and wanted to pick up where he left off when he returned to the United States…The complainant reported that, in the summer of 1984, when she was 17 years old, Manu returned to St. Mary’s again and raped her in his bedroom in the rectory. Before raping her, Manu reportedly told her that her father did not believe her, that she had no credibility, that no one could help her, and that they were going to take their relationship to the next level.” (Appendix A)
The Diocese’s Response
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report, the allegations were reported to the Diocese in 2005. After interviewing the complainant, her family, and other witnesses, the Diocese referred the matter to the Rhode Island State Police. The investigation was later closed after the complainant declined to participate in the criminal investigation and did not respond to subsequent messages from State Police.
Despite these allegations, it appears that Father Manu continued serving summer assignments in Rhode Island in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
According to the Report, “There is no indication in the files provided by the Diocese that any Diocesan official spoke with Manu about the allegations or alerted Manu’s bishop of the allegations at this point, even after the criminal investigation concluded. There is also no record that the Diocese suspended Father Manu following receipt of these allegations or that it notified Manu’s home diocese in Ghana.” (Appendix A)
In November 2007, the Diocesan Review Board unanimously agreed that Father Manu should not return to the United States, after the complainant’s father expressed “‘extreme displeasure’” at Manu’s assignment in St. Mary’s the previous summer.
Manu is not included on the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy.
For more information on the allegations against Manu, please reference Appendix A of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence.
If You Were Harmed by Father Thomas Dente Kofi Manu or Another Member of the Clergy
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.
Rhode Island’s child sexual abuse revival window has created an opportunity for survivors to pursue civil claims that may have previously been barred by the statute of limitations.
If you were abused by Father Thomas Dente Kofi Manu or another member of the clergy, we encourage you to contact us today to learn about your legal options.
Every consultation is free and completely confidential.
📞 (866) 311-8640
📧 info@vca.law
Image sources: Prudence Island, Rhode Island, via Homes.
