Statement: BARCC Responds to Rose Case

Last summer, Patrick Rose, former police officer and Boston police union president, was arrested for sexually abusing several children. This past weekend, the Boston Globe reported that, while criminal charges after a 1995 report never went forward, an internal police investigation concluded that he likely committed a crime. Despite that, he kept his job as a police officer, was allowed to continue working with children, and was elected to a powerful position as union president. Gina Scaramella, executive director of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, commented in response:

“We are dismayed and horrified by the reports that Patrick Rose was found by an internal police investigation in 1995 to have likely sexually abused a child, yet was permitted to keep his job as a police officer and continue working with children. The police force, like any other organization or employer—especially those in positions of authority that the public should be able to trust—needs to take any and all necessary steps to ensure the safety of everyone that they work with. 

“We know that sexual assault, harassment, and abuse thrive in silence, and that people in power rely on that silence to perpetrate harm. We applaud Boston Mayor Kim Janey for committing the Boston Police to review and release internal affairs records related to this case to the public while maintaining privacy for the survivors. And the planned probe by the new Office of Police Accountability and Transparency into how the 1995 report was handled and conducted is absolutely necessary. Transparency is key in accountability. And Boston Police must be accountable to all who have been harmed: to the survivors in this case, to other survivors out there who are affected by this systemic silence, and to the community at large. 

“Lastly, as always, our greatest concern is for the survivors in this case. We hope that they are getting the care and support they need and deserve. At the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, we listen, we believe, and we support survivors, their loved ones, and community members who are affected by sexual violence every day. And we are committed to changing the systems that survivors must interact with and navigate as they seek healing and justice.”