Unredacted Baltimore Archdiocese Sex Abuse Report To Be Released

BALTIMORE, MD — A judge has ordered the release of a substantially unredacted version of a grand jury report detailing allegations of sexual abuse within the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the cover-up of that abuse by Catholic church leadership.

In a ruling unsealed Tuesday, a Baltimore Circuit Court judge authorized Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown to release the report on or after Sept. 26. According to a statement released by Brown's office, the new version will lift redactions on all but three names blacked out in the original report released in April.

"The court's order enables my office to continue to lift the veil of secrecy over decades of horrifying abuse suffered by the survivors," Brown said in a statement.

The original 463-page redacted report details "a long history of widespread abuse and systemic cover-up by clergy," Brown said. It also identifies nearly 160 former and current priests, as well as other members of the church that are accused of sexually abusing more than 600 children over eight decades.

In 2019, the Archdiocese of Baltimore released the names of priests accused of sexual abuse but disclosed few details despite an extensive investigation. During the process, authorities subpoenaed hundreds of thousands of documents and interviewed former priests, church employees, witnesses, and survivors of sexual abuse. Authorities then compiled a report titled "Clergy Abuse in Maryland."

In November, former Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh filed a motion to release the report to the public. A judge ordered the release of the report in February.

The redacted report released to the public shielded the identities of 10 alleged abusers who had not previously been publicly accused of child abuse, Brown said. The names of five ranking officials of the Archdiocese of Baltimore were also redacted. According to Brown, the five officials had "extensive participation" in the Archdiocese's handling of the abuse.

The report also included more than two dozen other redacted names of people mentioned but not accused of child sexual abuse, Brown said.

Since the report's release, the Archdiocese of Baltimore has added the names of 42 people to the list of those who are credibly accused of sexual abuse, according to a Baltimore Banner report.

In May, attorneys Ben Crump and Adam Slater announced a plan to file a series of lawsuits against the Baltimore Archdiocese on behalf of survivors. The announcement came after Gov. Wes Moore signed a bill eliminating the statute of limitations for child sex abuse lawsuits.

The law takes effect Oct. 1. The lawsuits, which accuse the Archdiocese of failing to take action against the rampant sexual abuse, will be filed after that date.

According to an Associated Press report, the Baltimore Archdiocese has paid over $13.2 million for care and compensation for 301 abuse victims, including $6.8 million toward 105 voluntary settlements in the past four decades.