Attorney General Brown hopes abuse report ‘exposes’ transgressions ‘to the fullest extent possible’

Speaking with journalists moments before his office released a long-anticipated report on child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore April 5, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said that while stories of abuse have been documented in the past, his office hoped to “make public for the first time the enormous scope and scale of the abuse and concealment perpetrated by the Archdiocese of Baltimore.”

“While it may be too late for the survivors to see criminal justice served, we hope that exposing the archdiocese’s transgressions to the fullest extent possible will bring some measure of accountability and perhaps encourage others to come forward,” Brown said.

Brown said more than 300 people contacted the attorney general’s office since its investigation began nearly five years ago, with his office interviewing hundreds of survivors and witnesses.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore cooperated with the investigation, turning over hundreds of thousands of pages of documents going back to the 1940s.

“What was consistent throughout the stories was the absolute authority and power these abusive priests and the church leadership held over survivors, their families and their communities,” Brown said. “The report seeks to document this long and sordid history.”

The attorney general said subpoenas have already been issued as his office investigates sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Wilmington, Del., the two other Catholic dioceses whose territory includes parts of Maryland.

When asked by the Catholic Review whether there are plans to conduct investigations into other organizations or the public schools, Brown said only that “our focus right now is on the archdiocese.”

The report redacts some names that were obtained in the grand jury process, Brown said, and they cannot be disclosed without a court order or permission. He said the court will have his office notify those individuals “and give them an opportunity to look at what is being set forth and alleged and give them an opportunity – the court will – to object.”

“I can’t say today what the outcome will eventually be,” he said, “but there may be some redactions that are later disclosed.”

Sex abuse survivors spoke to the media in a news conference following the release of the report. One called the nearly 500-page report’s release “a huge step,” but “not the end.” Others expressed frustration that portions of the report are redacted.

The Archdiocese of Washington issued a written statement regarding the investigation into abuse into its diocese, saying: “We recognize that past acts of abuse that occurred within the Church continue to cause severe pain and suffering for survivors, their families, and the faithful. Consistent with our published policies, we will continue to cooperate with civil authorities in investigating all allegations of abuse. We remain fully committed to our ongoing efforts, which span decades, to keep children safe and to bring healing to those harmed.”

To read Archbishop William E. Lori’s statement on the report, visit: https://www.archbalt.org/a-message-from-archbishop-william-e-lori-on-the-maryland-attorney-generals-report/

View the report by clicking here.

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

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