BALTIMORE, MD—In a sealed order issued August 16, 2023, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City authorized the Office of the Attorney General to release a revised, substantially unredacted version of the Attorney General’s Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The court unsealed its ruling on Tuesday and authorized OAG to release the new version of the Report in late September, subject to further order of the court.
In April 2023, the court authorized an interim public release of the Report. The interim public release was redacted, by order of the court, to shield the identities of ten alleged abusers who had not previously been publicly accused of child abuse. The names of five ranking officials of the Archdiocese of Baltimore were also redacted. Those five officials had extensive participation in the Archdiocese’s handling of abuser clergy and reports of child abuse. In addition, the names were redacted of over two dozen other individuals who were identified by name at various points in the Report although they are not accused of child sexual abuse. In the ruling unsealed today, the circuit court has authorized OAG to release a new version of the Report in which the identities of all but three of the previously redacted persons will be unredacted.
“The court’s order enables my office to continue to lift the veil of secrecy over decades of horrifying abuse suffered by the survivors,” said Attorney General Brown.
The court rejected the claims of some individuals that the Attorney General lacked authority to issue the Report, explaining that “inherent in the authority to investigate is the authority to record and report the results of that investigation.” The court also confirmed that “the interests of accountability, public justice, public policy, and transparency are all forwarded” by the release of a substantially unredacted Report.
The Report is not a criminal charging document or a finding of guilt. The fact that a person is named in the Report, or that a person’s name was redacted, does not necessarily mean that they are accused of a crime. The Office of the Attorney General will release a new, substantially unredacted version of the Report on or after September 26, 2023, in accordance with the order of the court.
Attorney General Brown says he continues to express his sincere appreciation to the survivors for their bravery in coming forward and speaking up. Past abuses by members of the clergy can be reported by calling 410-576-6312 or emailing [email protected].
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