Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore Abuse News

What Is Happening In The Archdiocese of Baltimore?

The Maryland Attorney General’s Office is completing work on a four-year investigation of allegations of abuse in the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, committed by priests, teachers and other archdiocese employees.  The Archdiocese of Baltimore includes 153 parishes, 40 elementary schools and18 high schools.

The Attorney General’s Office has now revealed that more than 600 young victims were subject to sexual abuse by the Archdiocese clergy, spanning a period of more than  80 years.  Abuse took place throughout the archdiocese’s nine Maryland counties and Baltimore City . The investigation found that the archdiocese failed to report many allegations of sexual abuse, conduct adequate investigations, remove abusers from their posts and restrict their access to children. Instead, the attorney general’s office found, the archdiocese “went to great lengths in order to keep the abuse secret.” The probe, the second in the country initiated by a state prosecutor, seeks to bring accountability and detail to cases long covered up or shielded by legal defenses like the statutes of limitation.

The public outcry over these abuses by clergy and other staff members of the Church has prompted many survivors to come forward. Those who suffered in silence for years finally have learned they are not alone. Indeed, in recent years, thousands of victims have come forward with their stories of sexual misconduct at the hands of Catholic Church staff. The Catholic Church has paid more than $3 Billion in settlements for abuse.  Now adults, individuals have finally found their voices heard.