Katie Kerekes, FISM News
More than 150 Roman Catholic clergymen associated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore sexually abused over 600 children in a decades-long conspiracy while largely evading responsibility and receiving protection from the institution’s leadership, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office.
A report released Wednesday as part of a yearslong investigation by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office details “decades of criminal conduct” that occurred within the oldest Roman Catholic diocese in the United States between the 1940s and 2002.
“Over a hundred priests and other Archdiocese personnel engaged in horrific and repeated abuse of the most vulnerable children in their communities while Archdiocese leadership looked the other way,” the 456-page report reads.
Ordered for public release by Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Robert Taylor last month, the investigative report contains redactions of confidential grand jury material, including names of some abusers not previously revealed. Taylor has stated he will consider further divulsion of the redacted material at a later time.
Church leadership is accused of placing higher concern on avoiding scandal and negative publicity than on the protection of children, as reports of abuse were often ignored, challenged, or “investigated” internally by members of the church who exercised bias in their efforts.
“The staggering pervasiveness of the abuse itself underscores the culpability of the Church hierarchy,” page 16 of the report reads. “The sheer number of abusers and victims, the depravity of the abusers’ conduct, and the frequency with which known abusers were given the opportunity to continue preying upon children are astonishing.”
A PROBLEM MUCH BIGGER THAN MARYLAND
This particular investigation further amplifies increasing evidence from parishes across the globe as numerous similar revelations have been exposed within the Catholic Church in recent years. The report states that while over 600 children are known to have been abused, it estimates that the number of victims is likely far higher, citing national statistics on the abysmally low percentage of abuse reports.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown shared in a press conference that the investigation reveals “pervasive, pernicious and persistent abuse,” which the church is responsible for covering up repeatedly on an “enormous scope and scale.”
“This report illustrates the depraved, systemic failure of the Archdiocese to protect the most vulnerable — the children it was charged to keep safe,” Brown said. “Time and again, the Archdiocese chose to safeguard the institution and avoid scandal instead of protecting the children in its care. The report seeks to document this long and sordid history.”
Attorney General Anthony Brown’s press conference regarding the report’s release can be viewed in its entirety here.