Donna Von Den Bosch will not remain silent about the sexual abuse she endured. Instead, she wants transparency about what happened at Archbishop Keough High School in the 1960s and 1970s.
When Von Den Bosch started her studies at the all-girls Catholic high school in Baltimore in 1970, she was excited about the promising start of her freshman year. But that soon changed for the then-14-year-old when she attended a Catholic youth picnic.
Nothing Was the Same for Von Den Bosch After a Youth Picnic Outing
Von Den Bosch was given a drug-laced drink that left her feeling dizzy and unable to steady herself. She eventually fell and realized she had been drugged before two priests sexually assaulted her. She had known one of them since she was 12.
“Here’s this parish priest that I’ve known since I was 12 and it’s all so confusing. And this would go on for the next three years,” Von Den Bosch said during an interview with WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore.
She endured subsequent sexual assaults on school grounds for several years afterward and told no one, including her parents.
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Von Den Bosch Aims to Bring the Truth About Clergy Sexual Abuse to ‘Public Light’
Von Den Bosch recently filed a motion along with others to support the Maryland Attorney General’s request to make public a report detailing the sexual abuse that took place within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The document, titled “Clergy Abuse in Maryland,” names the clergy members who committed the abuse and the actions taken to cover it up.
Jenner Law of Baltimore and Grant & Eisenhofer of Delaware are representing Von Den Bosch and Michele Stanton, another sexual abuse survivor, and filed the motion to release the report on their behalf. After the motion was filed, Von Den Bosch and Stanton shared, “How much longer do we have to live before the horrors that we and others endured – in our Archdiocese schools and parishes where we were supposed to be safe – are brought to public light?”
Von Den Bosch hopes that by sharing her story, other sexual abuse survivors feel more comfortable sharing theirs so that abusers can be held accountable.
New Legislation Allows More Clergy Abuse Survivors To Speak Up
If Von Den Bosch’s story has inspired you to seek justice for clergy sexual abuse you’ve experienced in the past, but you are unsure if you’re still within Maryland’s statute of limitations for such cases, you’re in luck. On October 1st, the Maryland Child Victims Act will go into effect, repeal the statute, and allow abuse victims to file a claim at any time.
At Jenner Law, our Catholic Church sexual abuse lawyers are committed to providing you with accurate information regarding Maryland’s clergy abuse cases and relevant legislation. Contact us today to learn more about your legal rights and get the supportive counsel you need to move forward with a claim.
Call or text (888) 585-2188 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form