The Archdiocese of Baltimore filed for bankruptcy on Friday, in a move that lawyers and advocates argue is timed to silence abuse victims and protect the church’s assets, just as a new state law is set to take effect that will end the statute of limitations on child sex abuse claims.
By filing for bankruptcy, the church is following the example of other institutions which have sought bankruptcy protection to offset the costs of court settlements and avoid public scrutiny, said Michael McDonnell, interim executive director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests.
The new state law, signed back in April, will take effect Sunday and remove Maryland’s statute of limitations for when child sexual abuse lawsuits can be filed against institutions. Until now, Maryland residents who claim to have been sexually abused as children could only sue up until they reached the age of 38.
The new legislation came weeks after the state attorney general published an almost 500-page report showing the scope of child sexual abuse occurrences within the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the nation’s oldest Catholic diocese. The report detailed over 150 clergy members accused of abusing more than 600 victims over the course of six decades.
By filing for bankruptcy, attorneys say the church can now shift the process of settling those claims to the bankruptcy court, which is less transparent than the civil courts.
“Catholic bishops are employing the same deception from coast to coast,” said McDonnell. “Cover up child sex offenses while maintaining the ministry of the abusers. Next, oppose any modifications to the statute of limitations that might make those offenses more visible. Finally, go to federal bankruptcy courts and act as though you have run out of money when secular laws offer a window to justice. When will church officials make true amends?”
The church itself claims the decision to file for bankruptcy will allow it “to equitably compensate victim-survivors of child sexual abuse” while continuing to provide its local support to communities, said Archbishop William E. Lori in a statement published to the archdiocese website.
But Rob Jenner, a Baltimore attorney who represents abuse victims, believes “it’s just a further locking of the file cabinet doors to keep victims from seeing the full weight and scope of wrongdoing. It’s so defeating,” he told The Associated Press.
With News Wire Services
Evan Rosen
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