- Over the course of 80 years, the Archdiocese of Baltimore concealed pervasive sexual abuse of hundreds of children. Church officials convinced prosecutors not to charge priests with crimes. They transferred priests multiple times rather than acknowledge their abuse to parishes and schools. They ignored abusive priests who confessed that they struggled with pedophilia. They gave more weight to the denial of the abusers than to the allegations of their victims.
- A 456-page report released Wednesday afternoon by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General lays out a “long and sordid history” with both broad scope and excruciating details. It identifies more than 100 priests and other archdiocesan personnel responsible for “horrific and repeated abuse of the most vulnerable children” in their community while the church looked the other way.
