Catholic Church: More than 600 children victims of sexual abuse in Baltimore
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mary Our Queen Cathedral in Baltimore. More than 600 children in the eastern US state of Maryland have been sexually assaulted, raped or even subjected to sexual torture by more than 150 clergy and other members of the Catholic Church, according to a study released on April 5, 2023. AFP - BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI
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Hundreds of children sexually abused, raped or even subjected to sexual torture by Baltimore Church members since the 1940s. This is revealed by a report made public this Wednesday by the justice of Maryland, near Washington, in the United States. More than 150 members of the archdiocese have been identified by investigators as perpetrators of the sexual violence.
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In total, more than 600 victims have been identified. And from the beginning of the report, the investigators point out that this figure is most likely underestimated, because many people do not report sexual violence to the police, in part for fear of not being heard.
On more than 400 pages, the text details point by point the course of the facts alleged against 156 members of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. This is the result of 4 years of investigation, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown explained at a press conference on Wednesday:
« The indisputable facts revealed by this investigation trace a history of horrific, widespread and repeated sexual violence committed by priests and other members of the archdiocese. It is also the story of a cover-up of this sexual violence by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. »
The archdiocese preferred to move priests or professors, for fear of a scandal, rather than prevent them from reoffending, the report said. A handful of them (11) were convicted, but most died without facing justice. Ten alleged perpetrators of sexual violence, whose names have not been released, are believed to still be alive. One of them was charged following this investigation.
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