Maryland Attorney General Releases Names of Accused in Sex Abuse Report on Baltimore Archdiocese

The Maryland Attorney General’s Office has released an unredacted report on child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, naming most of the accused perpetrators. The report details decades of allegations of sexual abuse and cover-ups within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Following months of litigation that has played out under seal, the Maryland Office of the Attorney General released the 450-page report on Tuesday.

The report names eight alleged abusers who were hidden in the previous redacted version. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown released a substantially unredacted version of the grand jury report detailing allegations of sexual abuse within the Archdiocese. The report names 156 Catholic clergy members and others who abused at least 600 children over more than six decades. The report also outlines efforts by leadership of the Catholic church to hide and conceal that sexual abuse, with hundreds of thousands of documents.

Survivors React to the Release of the Names

Survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy members in the Archdiocese of Baltimore are speaking out after the names of the accused were released by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. Many of the survivors have been waiting for years to see the names of their abusers made public.

Jean Hargadon-Wehner, a survivor of sexual abuse by a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, said in a statement that the release of the names was a “monumental step forward in the pursuit of justice for survivors of clergy sexual abuse.” She added that the report “exposes the culture of cover-up and secrecy that has enabled abusers to continue to prey on children for decades.”

Teresa Lancaster, another survivor of sexual abuse by a Catholic priest, said in a statement that the release of the names was a “victory for survivors.” She added that the report “proves that the Catholic Church has been complicit in covering up the crimes of its priests for decades.”

The Archdiocese of Baltimore has issued a statement in response to the release of the report, saying that it “acknowledges and deeply regrets the harm that has been caused to survivors of sexual abuse by members of the clergy.” The statement goes on to say that the Archdiocese “remains committed to providing support and assistance to survivors and to preventing future abuse.”