Maryland AG Drops Bombshell Baltimore Report

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BALTIMORE (ChurchMilitant.com) - Maryland's office of the attorney general is finally releasing its grand jury report regarding clerical sex abuse in the archdiocese of Baltimore.

Today, the office publicized its 456-page document, revealing that more than 600 children were abused by 156 clerics — abuse that spanned decades. 

According to a press release by Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, "Young people in some parishes were preyed upon by multiple abusers over decades, and clergy used the power and authority of the ministry to exploit the trust of the children and families in their charge."

"The Report also describes the repeated actions of those in positions of leadership to conceal and cover up the abuse, moving priests to other parishes, failing to investigate or report abuse to civilian law enforcement authorities, and providing financial support to priests in retirement," he added. 

Since the investigation began in 2018, the document's release has been long awaited. 

On Tuesday, Judge Robert Taylor, Jr. announced that the report was ready for public release, after further redaction was made by the attorney general's office. It first filed a motion in November to have the documents openly circulated.

Assistant Attorney General Carrie Williams told the court, "Both boys and girls were abused, with ages ranging from preschool through young adulthood."

"Although no parish was safe, some congregations and schools were assigned multiple abusive priests, and a few had more than one sexually abusive priest at the same time," she continued. 

In December, at the request of an anonymous group named in the report, Circuit Court Judge Anthony Vittoria had the record sealed.

The anonymous party — whose legal fees were paid by the archdiocese of Baltimore — was not accused of sexual abuse.

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