Maryland Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawyers

The church should be a place where everyone in the family, including children, can feel safe. But unfortunately, that’s not always the case, as recent investigations have found thousands of incidents of child sexual abuse committed by Catholic Church officials. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office found that there were hundreds of child victims within the Archdiocese of Baltimore alone, showing major child abuse issues in the oldest Roman Catholic diocese.

Lawyers Pursuing Compensation on Behalf of Child Sexual Abuse Survivors

If members of the Archdiocese of Baltimore sexually abused you or your child, it’s important to consider taking legal action against the alleged abusers and anyone who tried to hide or excuse the sexual abuse. At Andreozzi + Foote, we have assisted families with child sexual abuse cases involving the Archdiocese of Baltimore, so contact us if you want to learn what steps we recommend you take to get justice for child abuse victims.

What Should You Know About Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore?

While sexual abuse can and does occur anywhere, some states have been in the news in recent years due to shocking sexual abuse allegations. One of those states is Maryland, mainly due to the vast number of child sexual abuse allegations involving church officials within the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

What Did the Maryland Attorney General’s Office Discover About the Baltimore Archdiocese?

As more victims kept coming forward to accuse members of the Baltimore Archdiocese of child sex abuse over the years, the Maryland Attorney General’s Office started investigating the Catholic Church in this area. What they discovered was even more upsetting than they initially thought, as early in the investigation, over 300 individuals alleged sexual abuse by officials in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Four years after beginning the investigation of the Baltimore Archdiocese, the Attorney General’s Office was finished and ready to publish the findings. According to the Attorney General’s report, more than 600 individuals alleged sexual abuse across the span of 80 years. The sexual abuse allegations were against over 140 priests, deacons, and other Catholic Church officials who were publicly identified. More than 40 additional church officials were not identified by the Baltimore Archdiocese.

While most of the Catholic Church officials named in the Attorney General’s report were accused of physical and sexual abuse, some were accused of protecting the alleged abusers within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. For example, some church officials were allowed to stay in their role even after the sexually abused victims reported abuse on their part.

In cases where the Archdiocese of Baltimore acknowledged the reported abuse, they simply encouraged the alleged abusers to move to another church or retire. None of these actions provided the support or protection that the sexually abused children deserved, which is partly why the report from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office was so shocking.

Was the Archdiocese of Baltimore the Only Catholic Archdiocese Facing Sexual Abuse Allegations?

Of course, the Baltimore Archdiocese was not the only place where child sexual abuse occurred and was covered up by church officials. Around the same time the Attorney General in Maryland started its investigation of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, a Pennsylvania grand jury report was published in which more than 1,000 individuals alleged abuse by over 300 members of the clergy.

Other Catholic archdioceses that joined Baltimore Archdiocese sexual abuse allegations at that time included:

York Archdiocese
Washington DC Archdiocese
Los Angeles Archdiocese
Arlington Diocese

These are just a few examples of dioceses where church officials were accused of sexually abusing numerous minors. Though the Maryland Attorney General released a report focused on the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the sexual abuse allegations are widespread, not limited to the oldest Roman Catholic diocese in the country.

This suggests that the Catholic Church has had a trend of not only allowing child sexual abuse to occur, but also dismissing and even covering up the sexual abuse allegations rather than properly reporting abuse to the police.
Whether your experiences with sexual abuse took place within the Archdiocese of Baltimore or another Catholic archdiocese, you deserve to be heard and believed.

When you come to our Maryland law firm, our attorneys will listen to your description of what occurred and advise you on whether to file a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Baltimore or other religious entities responsible for enabling child sexual abuse.

What Should You Do If A Member of the Catholic Clergy Sexually Abused You?

If you or your child were sexually abused by one or more church officials in the Baltimore Archdiocese or another Catholic Archdiocese, it’s critical that you get help. Child sexual abuse can cause long-term mental, emotional, and physical problems that sexually abused victims should not have to deal with alone. You should report the abuse to the Baltimore police, and then talk to lawyers who have experience representing clients in abuse-related civil lawsuits.

When you come to Andreozzi + Foote for legal guidance on a child sex abuse case, we can help you pursue compensation so you have a chance to recover enough funds to pay for any medical treatment and therapy you need as a result of being sexually abused.

We can also pursue punitive damages to ensure the Archdiocese of Baltimore and any other abusers or enablers don’t forget the consequences of failing to report abuse to the police.

We have years of experience guiding clients through abuse-related civil lawsuits against church officials and other alleged abusers, so you can rest assured that we’ll properly handle the legal details of your case.

But beyond that, we’ll also show you the care and compassion you deserve, such as by ensuring you have access to resources meant for Maryland survivors of sexual abuse. They include the following organizations:

Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)
Heartly House, Inc.
Family Crisis Center of Baltimore County
HopeWorks of Howard County
TurnAround

We care about the well-being of our clients, especially after they’ve survived the unthinkable crime of child sex abuse. If you want legal assistance from compassionate lawyers who will work tirelessly to get you the justice you deserve from the Baltimore Archdiocese or other offenders, contact us for a free consultation with our team.

Who Can You Sue for Sexual Abuse?

If you or your child endured sexual abuse committed by a deacon, priest, or other Catholic Church officials, suing them for compensation might not appeal to you. After all, it’s unlikely you’d get much money from a clergy member, so pursuing damages might not be worth your time. Fortunately, most abuse-related civil lawsuits target more than just one individual, as they often go after entire organizations to hold them accountable and allow sexually abused victims to collect the compensation they deserve.
For example, if you were sexually abused by someone who worked at a Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, your lawsuit could pursue compensation from any individual or organization that was responsible for putting you in contact with the alleged abuser. This is especially true if the religious entity had a duty to protect you and failed you instead. Child sexual abuse-related civil lawsuits are often brought against:

Catholic schools
Churches
Parishes
Parish ministry groups
Archdioceses
Catholic youth groups
The nation’s Catholic bishops

In short, anyone who committed sexual abuse against you or your child or helped cover it up should be held liable so they don’t do it again in the future. If you’re ready to consider legal action, contact our law firm to discuss your sexual abuse allegations involving church officials.

How Can Maryland Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawyers Help You?

Now that you know who to hold liable for the child abuse you experienced, you might wonder when you can take legal action. The answer is as soon as possible, since it’s essential to initiate a lawsuit while the details and evidence of child sexual abuse are still accessible. We encourage you to call us to start your case today.

However, if it’s been years since the sexual abuse and you’re just starting to think about taking legal action against the Archdiocese of Baltimore or other liable parties, rest assured it’s not too late. Thanks to the Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023, there is no longer a statute of limitations on child sex abuse allegations. This means even if the alleged abuse occurred decades ago, you can still collect compensation from the people responsible for committing or allowing this horrific act.

If you’re ready to discuss your abuse allegations and find out how much money you can recover with a sexual abuse case, contact us to get started. We’re committed to helping sexually abused victims collect the full amount of compensation they’re entitled to after surviving persistent abuse by church officials. Call us at 866-311-8640 to discuss your sexual abuse civil case as soon as possible.

Several cases of clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Maryland over the years have been documented in grand jury reports and legal settlements.

One of the most high-profile cases in Maryland involved Father A. Joseph Maskell, a priest in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, was accused of sexually abusing numerous students while serving as a guidance counselor at Archbishop Keough High School in the 1960s and 1970s. Maskell was never charged with a crime before he died in 2001, but his case was the subject of the Netflix documentary series “The Keepers,” which delved into the allegations of abuse and the Church’s response to them.

The Attorney General’s Report Outlining Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Approximately four years ago, the Maryland Office of the Attorney General launched an investigation into the sexual abuse of children within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In November 2022, the Attorney General sought to release a 456-page report identifying 158 clergy accused of sexual abuse, including 43 clergy never publicly identified by the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The report outlines the sexual abuse of more than 600 victims for 80 years.

In March 2023, a judge was permitted to release a redacted version of the report and also held that an unredacted version of the report could be disclosed under certain circumstances. This report is a roadmap that outlines institutional cover-ups and lays the foundation for successful civil cases against the Archdiocese of Baltimore for those who were abused.

The Statute of Limitations in Maryland for Sexual Abuse Cases

Currently, Maryland law states that survivors have until the age of 38 to file a civil lawsuit. If you were born before 1988, you are, in some sense, time-barred. Although the new law says age 38 (i.e., 1985), there is a gap between the 2003 and 2017 laws that many might fall in. Always consult a skilled attorney to determine your rights. Many survivors do not come to grips with what happened to them until well into their fifties. This is very difficult for many to accept.

Maryland’s New Window Law Eliminates Time Restrictions to File Lawsuits.

Over several years, many brave survivors lobbied the state government to open the time that sexual abuse survivors could bring civil claims against organizations responsible for their abuse. C.T. Wilson, himself a survivor and a member of the House of Delegates, fought courageously for these reforms for several years.

Finally, in 2023, likely due to political changes in the Senate and the Attorney General’s report, a new law retroactively eliminating the statute of limitations for child victims of sexual abuse passed both the House and Senate. Highlights of the law include:

Child sexual abuse survivors can pursue a case regardless of when they were abused.
Child sexual abuse survivors can pursue a case regardless of their age.
Child sexual abuse survivors can pursue a case against responsible private organizations like the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Seek compensation of up to $1.5 million per incident for emotional distress and additional out-of-pocket expenses.
Child sexual abuse survivors can pursue a case against responsible public organizations. Compensation of up to $890,000 per incident for emotional distress and additional out-of-pocket expenses.

When Will This New Take Effect?

The new law goes into effect on October 1, 2023. However, you should contact an attorney now if you have a case or questions.

Why Window Laws Matter?

Statutes of limitations nationwide have set arbitrary time restrictions on when survivors can file claims against those who harmed them. These timelines have never lined up with the data and scientific evidence regarding when child victims of a sexual abuse report. Research states that the average age of disclosure for a child victim of sexual abuse is 52. Decades after the abuse happened. This is due to multiple factors, including trauma, fear of retaliation, confusion, shame, etc.

Every victim deserves access to our court system. There should be no statute of limitation for criminal or civil justice in childhood sexual abuse. Windows have proven effective in the states they have passed by:

enabling survivors to expose the predators who harmed them
access documents that enable them to understand what happened in their respective cases
depose the abusers and those who knew about the abuse.

Window legislation enables communities to know who these predators are and to prevent others from being harmed. Windows provide much-delayed justice to survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

If you are a survivor in Maryland and think the Child Victims’ Act applies to your case, Andreozzi + Foote wants to talk with you. The lawyer you choose to take on your case matters. You want someone who is trusted, dedicated, experienced, and knowledgeable. Call today for a Free. To find a comprehensive database of identified predator priests in Maryland, go here.