Maryland District Attorney’s Office in the United States released a comprehensive 456 page report today detailing a long history of abuse within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The report documents that more than 600 child victims were harmed by 156 members of the Catholic clergy in the last eight years.
From the 1940s until 2002, more than a hundred priests and other employees of the Archdiocese abused children. The report states that they committed appalling and repeated abuses against some of the most vulnerable members of the community.
Members of church leadership have repeatedly denied allegations of child sexual abuse for as long as possible, according to the statement accompanying the release.
The document was published with redactions to protect identities, covering names and references that could identify nearly a hundred people. Dozens of priests, monks and at least two nuns are named among those alleged to have abused.
The report notes that the scale of abuse reveals deep responsibility at higher levels of church leadership. The high number of abusers and victims, the repeated opportunity given to abusers, and the ongoing access to vulnerable children are emphasized in the findings.
The investigation was initiated after officials launched a grand jury inquiry into the Archdiocese, which serves a large community across several neighborhoods. The inquiry focused on complaints of sexual abuse of minors by clergy, theologians, deacons and other church members.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, located in western Maryland, includes hundreds of priests, deacons, monks and nuns. It also oversees multiple hospitals, residences for the elderly, parishes, schools and universities bearing influence on the regional community.
The report also outlines efforts by church leadership to conceal and cover up abuse, supported by hundreds of thousands of documents from the 1940s prepared by the Archdiocese.
Before a judge authorized the publication of the prosecutor’s report, Archbishop William Lori issued a message urging Catholics to support survivors of abuse through prayer and reflection.
The Archbishop stated that the vile and horrific abuse investigated represents a serious betrayal with devastating consequences for the victims who survived, and he called for accountability and healing within the community.
Survivors’ advocacy groups welcomed the release of the report. They noted that the document contains more names of abusers than have been publicly disclosed by church officials in the past. The group urged Archbishop Lori to explain why the current list appears incomplete and to address the broader questions about how disclosures were handled.