Updated at 4:48 p.m.
Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo said his department will launch an inquiry into allegations made in a recent Buzzfeed story about decades of abuse at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Orphanage.
Del Pozo provided few details, but said he was meeting with the Vermont Attorney General’s Office Friday and has been in discussions with Mayor Miro Weinberger about investigating the allegations of physical, mental and sexual abuse at St. Joseph’s. The Buzzfeed article includes allegations that children were killed.
The orphanage closed in 1974. The imposing North Avenue building became part of Burlington College before it was turned into housing.
“It’s safe to say that the mayor and I feel it’s in the interests of justice to offer a full accounting of the crimes,” del Pozo said. “We feel it’s the duty of the state to do so.”
The Buzzfeed story, entitled “We Saw Nuns Kill Children: The Ghosts of St. Joseph’s Catholic Orphanage,” was the product of several years of investigating by journalist Christine Kenneally.
Many of the allegations had previously been documented in dozens of lawsuits filed by victims in the 1990s and extensive reporting on the orphanage, primarily by the Burlington Free Press.
Kenneally relied in part on depositions from former residents. In one of them, Sally Dale said in 1996 that she saw a child pushed from a fourth-floor window of the orphanage. Kenneally described the statement, preserved on videotape:
Sally, who was speaking under oath, tried to explain it. She started again. “The first thing I saw was looking up, hearing the crash of the window, and then him going down, but my eyes were still glued—.” She pointed up at where the broken window would have been and then she pointed at her own face and drew circles around it. “That habit thing, whatever it is, that they wear, stuck out like a sore thumb.”
A nun was standing at the window, Sally said. She straightened her arms out in front of her. “But her hands were like that.”
Kenneally wrote that she was unable to corroborate Dale’s account. Years ago, she wrote, a diocese spokesman had told the Free Press it was “simply unbelievable.”
There is no statute of limitations for murder in Vermont. But many of the alleged victims and perpetrators described in the Buzzfeed story are deceased or elderly. Dale died about four years after giving her deposition.
Del Pozo acknowledged the difficulties, but said the department would still try to investigate.
“These are cold cases, but cold cases are still cases,” he said. “It’s just about provability and the interests of justice. If nothing else, there is need for truth and reconciliation.”
Ellen Kane, spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, told Seven Days in an email: “The Diocese has no knowledge of any inquiry.”
Late Friday, Attorney General T.J. Donovan announced plans to hold a press conference Monday morning with del Pozo, Weinberger, Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George and Vermont State Police to address the allegations at St. Joseph’s.
In a statement to Seven Days, Weinberger wrote, “The allegations of abuse and violence at the former Burlington orphanage are horrific and demand investigation. The city has been reviewing options for formal action and we will be joining other civic leaders Monday morning to discuss our intentions with the public.”
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It’s about time, why has it taken so long for this to be investigated? It should have been a long time ago when people were still alive to say what was going on!
That many years ago? What a waste of time and money.
I was there from 1960 to 1967 I don’t recall being abused by any priests or by any of the nuns I have good memories of that place I received an excellent elementary school education . We were taken to the beauty parlor during the holidays to get our hair done, went trick or Treating and had Halloween Parties there We celebrated the Holidays as others do. I feel for the others who say these things happened to them. For me I will keep my good memories and just live my life as I have for over 50 years now…
I was there in the 70s and abuse was rampant at that time. I speak personally about this matter. I promise you it brings me no good memories!
To the man that said, (That many years ago what a waste of time and money) This is what I say to you., shame on you. God isnt about money its about telling the truth and doing the right thing no matter if you lose everything and no one will stand with you but God himself. There isnt a time limit on torture, sexual abuse, murder crimes of such abuse on children, when God is Love of all the innocence. Compassion and Love is the only way to move forward to have peace for yourself and others. Number 17 From St. Joseph Orphanage in the early 60s
To the man who said, (That many years ago what a waste of time and money) I say to you, God isnt about money and there isnt a limit on torture, sexual abuse, murder, crimes on the innocent. Children are of God, the truth needs telling even if one thinks it was decades ago. Even if one loses everything and stands alone, God stands with us. That is the important thing only. The world is needing great energy and only people doing the right thing helps ourselves and our planet. Good rules the world. God is the good, moving forward with Love. Thank you number 17 from St. Joseph Orphanage in the early 60s
Thank you Winnie. It is amazing that those who yell the loudest about the presumption of innocence when there is an obvious criminal who is charged are the same who are willing to crucify those of faith who devoted their lives to making the world a better place and saving the lives of many based on unfounded reports from a half a century ago. Imagine the hurt felt by those wonderful nuns and priests who sacrificed much to do good for so many children.
In Vtdigger there is another article that is so telling about the horrors of politics in this day and time and how many of our elected has lost their way. https://vtdigger.org/2018/09/07/vermont-at…
Vermonts Attorney General, TJ Donovan, says he will specifically investigate crimes and abuses that allegedly occurred at St Joseph which has now been closed for some 44 years, matters which were the subject of dozens of lawsuits in the 90s. So, why now?
Without explanation he added: my sense is we will also look at some larger issues involved here. That is suspect since a Vermont State Police reports that, we have received no complaints or requests at this time. Im not a Catholic but see a danger to all people of faith. In this age of non-belief in God, intolerance of religious views is tolerated.
People of faith today are often marginalized and discriminated against. To be horrified and angry about past possible wrongs is ok, but for it to trigger a task force and press conference to announce an investigation of the entire Catholic Church is beyond the pale.
Could it be the AG is motivated by his future US Senate hopes and sees it as opportunity and a safe one at that?
To the person who said they had been there from 1960 to 1967. And all your memories are great ones. I say to you thats wonderful for you yourself. What do you have to say for the thousand around the world who suffered torture sexual abused and murder. I dont want to take your wonderful memories away from you, dont tell me what my memories are not worth telling our truth. Many children werent abuse, but many many many were. Torture, sexual abuse crimes dont go away either. Dont forget everything had to be a show. Some had to be the front to hide the truth behind the real truth the rest of us suffered. Keep your memories, and I will tell and share my memories of what my siblings and myself had there. Thank you number 17 in the early 60s in St.. Joseph Orphanage Vermont
Haunted place. Who would want a room there now-new name or not. A former orphanage where children were abused and preyed upon hardly makes for a nice re-purposed building for any purpose.
I’m jolted by the breathtaking gullibility of my fellow Vermonters. If someone says “child abuse,” all reason and logic get immediately tossed and discarded. This issue has been thoroughly investigated, and they couldn’t find a shred of evidence of abuse. Not one shred. But the urban legend has grown and grown over the years, to the point where Vermonters actually believe the nuns were getting away with the literal murder of children. This is nothing more than Donovan scoring political points, using our tax dollars to do it. Nothing new.