BALTIMORE (MD)
WBAL NewsRadio [Baltimore MD]
September 26, 2023
By WBAL News Radio
Today, Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown released an updated interim Attorney General’s Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
According to Brown’s office the updated report removes some redactions that the court had previously ordered.
The revised interim public release is available on the website of the Office of the Attorney General www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov and can also be accessed here
The office encourages those who haven’t yet, but may be ready to do so now, to reach out to us to report past abuse by members of the clergy by calling 410-576-6312 or emailing report@oag.state.md.us.
Original Story (Aug. 22): A Baltimore court ruled last week that more redacted names can be revealed from the attorney general’s report into child sexual abuse at the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
The Circuit Court for Baltimore City on Tuesday released its opinion that grants in part and denies in part a motion by the attorney general to disclose grand jury information.
| READ: Court’s memorandum opinion and order (PDF)
As a result of the court’s order, all but three of the individuals whose identities were redacted from the earlier report will now have their names revealed in the report, Baltimore City Circuit Court Associate Judge Robert Taylor Jr. wrote.
The pleadings and orders in this case that were previously under seal will remain under seal, and the memorandum opinion was released to the public Tuesday morning.
The court wrote in its opinion and cited earlier court orders in saying, “There is a particularized need to publish a report that is as transparent and open as possible.”
To that end, the court disagreed with an argument that the reputation and livelihood will be damaged for some individuals who will be named who “played fairly inconsequential roles in the handling of a single abuser.”
“To the extent that a given individual’s actions were proper and/or insignificant, the potential harm to that person’s reputation and livelihood is greatly diminished,” the court wrote.
For sex abuse survivor Teresa Lancaster, the release of more redacted names is a step in the right direction. She continues to be angered by the church’s response.
“The church keeps saying that they are going to be transparent and they are going to be accountable, and they aren’t,” Lancaster said.
Lancaster was the second sexual assault victim to sue the Archdiocese of Baltimore for sexual abuse by Father Joseph Maskell at Archbishop Keough High School in the 1970s. Her story was featured in the Netflix series, “The Keepers.”
The order indicates the attorney general can release the unredacted report no sooner than Sept. 26.
The Maryland Attorney General’s Office spent years on an investigation before it released a report in April that paints a damning picture of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which is the oldest Catholic diocese in the country and spans much of Maryland.
The investigation included interviews with witnesses, victims and alleged abusers, as well as the review of court records in prior civil and criminal proceedings.
The investigation also included documents obtained via grand jury subpoena from the archdiocese. Because some of the report was derived from records obtained by grand jury subpoenas, the attorney general sought the court’s permission to life the secrecy that applies generically to all grand jury proceedings. A new state law gives authority to the attorney general’s office to issue subpoenas in criminal cases.
The report found more than 150 Catholic priests and other Maryland clergy sexually abused more than 600 children and perpetually escaped accountability.
Survivors of clergy abuse have called on Baltimore Archbishop William Lori to step down and asked the archdiocese to release the names of abusers who are redacted in the attorney general’s report.
Anyone who has yet to report abuse, but may be ready to do so now, can call the attorney general’s office at 410-576-6312 or email report@oag.state.md.us.
Archdiocese of Baltimore Statement:
The Archdiocese of Baltimore sent a statement to WBAL NewsRadio, saying: “The archdiocese has read the Baltimore City Circuit Court’s memorandum opinion and order permitting the attorney general to release additional names in its report on child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Our foremost thought remains our concern and prayers for survivors of child sexual abuse. Today’s opinion will no doubt be a reminder for survivors and others of the great harm done to children.
“Since the start of the investigation by the Maryland Office of Attorney General into child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and throughout the entirety of the ensuing legal process, the archdiocese offered its full cooperation and support.
“The archdiocese will continue to respect the legal process and actions of the courts that ultimately make legal determinations in these matters.
“The archdiocese has not opposed the release of the attorney general’s report, just as it has continued its long-standing policy of making public credible allegations of child sexual abuse involving its personnel. We are committed to continuing all of our efforts to keep safe the children in our care, and we recognize that the attorney general’s report is a reminder of a sad and deeply painful history tied to the tremendous harm caused to innocent children and young people by some ministers of the church. We ask all to join us in praying for all victim-survivors of abuse and for all who have been affected by the scourge of child sexual abuse.”