The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore, Maryland.Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Catholic Church officials in Baltimore have been accused of taking part in a years-long cover-up of the sexual abuse of hundreds of children, Maryland’s top prosecutor said this week.
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A deacon stands in Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore.AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
In astatement, State Attorney General Brown said that the findings, which were made public after four years of investigation, illustrated a “depraved, systemic failure of the Archdiocese to protect the most vulnerable — the children it was charged to keep safe.”
“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,” he continued. “Time and again, the Archdiocese chose to safeguard the institution and avoid scandal instead of protecting the children in its care. This Report shines a light on this overwhelming tragedy, and it was the courage of the survivors that made it possible.”
Brown also urged state lawmakers to eliminate the statute of limitations so that surviving victims could file civil lawsuits.
Baltimore Archbishop William Lori offered his “most earnest apology on behalf of the Archdiocese” in astatementof his own Wednesday, noting how the report “details a reprehensible time in the history of this Archdiocese, a time that will not be covered up, ignored or forgotten.”
He went on to promise to support healing, added: “It is difficult for most to imagine that such evil acts could have actually occurred. For victim-survivors everywhere, they know the hard truth: These evil acts did occur.”
The Archdiocese of Baltimore did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional comment.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
