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(CNN) Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown’s report released Wednesday said 156 Catholic clergy and others had abused at least 600 children over 60 years.
“From the 1940s to 2002, more than 100 priests and other archdiocese officials repeatedly perpetrated horrific abuses of the most vulnerable children in the community, but the archdiocese’s Leaders were looking away,” the report said. “Time and again, members of the church hierarchy have adamantly refused to acknowledge allegations of child sexual abuse wherever possible.”
The report contains depictions of accusations of sexual and physical abuse. It includes stories of how some abusers provided alcohol and drugs to their victims, and vividly detailed how they forced their victims to engage in sexual acts. doing.
The report’s list of abusers includes clergy, seminarians, deacons, teachers, and other employees of the archdiocese.
The investigation began in 2018 and since then has received “hundreds of thousands of documents” including treatment reports, personnel records, transfer reports, policies and procedures.
After the Maryland Attorney General’s Office set up an e-mail address and phone hotline to report information about clergy abuse, more than 300 people contacted the agency, and investigators identified hundreds of victims. He said he interviewed eyewitnesses.
“Today is count day in Maryland, and it’s definitely account settlement day,” Brown said at a press conference Wednesday.
Brown said he was meeting with survivors Wednesday morning and advocating for them to hear their stories.
“Each of these stories is unique, but together they reveal themes and behaviors typical of adults who abuse children and those who enable abuse by hiding it.” What was at stake was the absolute authority and power these abusive priests and church leaders had over survivors, their families, and their communities.
Most of the abusers described in the report are dead and have not been charged, the attorney general said.
“It may be too late to see survivors facing criminal justice, but exposing the archdiocese’s transgressions to the greatest extent possible will bring some degree of accountability and perhaps others. I hope that more people will come forward,” Brown said.
Some victims waited until later in life to report abuse claims, according to reports. Because Maryland allows statute of limitations defenses in civil actions, “a victim cannot sue if she is over the age of 38,” the report said.
Some victims did not come forward until their parents died to “escape the pain of knowing about the abuse,” while others had no intention of speaking but were persuaded to come forward with the help of others. Others had repressed memories, and memories of abuse emerged years later.
William E. Lori, Archbishop of Baltimore, taken January 15, 2019.
The Archbishop of Baltimore apologized on behalf of the archdiocese after allegations of abuse surfaced in reports.
“To all survivors, I sincerely apologize on behalf of the Archdiocese and promise my continued solidarity and support for your healing. We believe you and your courageous voice have made a difference, in Wednesday’s statement.
“This report details a reprehensible period in the history of this parish,” Lori wrote, adding that it was “not covered up, ignored, or forgotten.”
The archdiocese began to make “fundamental changes” in the 1990s to “end this scourge,” Lori writes. The 1960s and he said that since cases of abuse peaked in the 1970s, cases of abuse have declined every year, and he says every decade, that “the archdiocese is not the same organization it used to be.” increase.
“But make no mistake: today’s strong record of protection and transparency does not excuse past failures that have resulted in the mental, psychological and emotional harm that victims and survivors have endured.” and the Archbishop’s Statement read.
Since the 1980s, the Archdiocese of Baltimore has paid $13.2 million to 303 victims of abuse, according to the archdiocese’s office.
The payment includes both counseling and reconciliation costs, Christian Kenzielski, the archdiocese’s executive director of communications, said in an email to CNN.
The report contains a “complete account” of abuses in the archdiocese and “details of repeated tortuous, terrifying and depraved abuses.” It lists and details 156 abusers who were “determined to be the subject of credible allegations of abuse.”
According to the report, between 156 and more than 600 children are known to have been abused, but “the number is likely much higher.”
The report has revealed the names of all but 10 of the 156 alleged abusers named in the report.
Brown said those 10 were obtained through grand jury proceedings and cannot be disclosed without permission or a court order.
“I want to emphasize that just because something is edited today doesn’t mean it will always be,” Brown said.
The Attorney General said the report does not constitute criminal charges.
The report recommends that Maryland amend the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits involving child sexual abuse.
“Our justice system must provide avenues for victims of these harms to seek reparations from the people and institutions responsible,” the report said.
In March, the Maryland Senate passed a bill that would repeal the state’s civil statute of limitations in certain civil cases involving child sexual abuse. The bill has passed the House.
CNN’s Zenebou Sylla, Brynn Gingras, Sabrina Souza, and Nicki Brown contributed to this report.
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