Following a four-year investigation, Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has made public a redacted version of a report accusing regional Catholic Church officials of an extensive cover-up operation in connection with child sexual abuse.
“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 on Wednesday. “Based on hundreds of thousands of documents and untold stories from hundreds of survivors, it provides, for the first time in the history of this state, a public accounting of more than 60 years of abuse and cover-up.”
The report, available here, mentions 156 different abusers from the Baltimore area including numerous priests. The findings come from a grand jury investigation first launched by the Attorney General’s office in 2018. In addition to investigating allegations of child sexual abuse within the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the investigation also aimed to dig into alleged efforts by those in positions of power within the religious institution to cover up these actions.
More than 600 children are alleged to have been abused by 156 officials during the six-decade period detailed in the report. In some cases, the report states, parishes counted multiple alleged abusers in their ranks. The report is also clear to note that the actual number of children allegedly abused by Catholic Church officials in the region is likely “far higher” than what their investigation was able to estimate.
In a tweet shared Wednesday when announcing the findings, Brown urged others who have been abused to come forward if they feel comfortable doing so. He also provided contact information, as seen below.
We encourage 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.
