Cardinal Law had said the archdiocese would report to law enforcement only new accusations of sexual abuse.

The plaintiffs claim church leaders did not report accusations of misconduct to the police and offered legal advice to suspected pedophiles.

Although some news organizations reported accusations that might have been justified, their origins were unclear.

Until 2002, Massachusetts did not have a law requiring the clergy to report accusations of sexual abuse to law enforcement officials.

Some Vatican officials have opposed tough measures against priests, particularly on reporting accusations to the civil authorities.

CNN also reported new accusations last week of police looting in the wake of the storm, which the department denied.

Nassau County in New York voted last week to require religious groups to report accusations of abuse to the authorities.

These allegations were reported multiple times and were largely false accusations.

"It allows them to report accusations that are themselves libelous, if they report them accurately," he said.

This was done on the ground that the journal reported accusations of rape against the State Public Prosecutor.