After decades of attempts, victims of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of Baltimore Archdiocese staff were finally able to publicly tell their story to the Church’s top official.
Six victims, from different races, backgrounds and locations in the Church’s jurisdiction, testified about brutal abuse, trauma and ruined lives as Baltimore Archbishop William Lori listened from the defendant’s chair at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland on Monday.
Survivors told horrific stories of being repeatedly raped over a period of years, being held underwater by priests and being threatened with guns if they ever spoke.
Theresa Lancaster, a lawyer who was abused by the now deceased Father Joseph McCaskill, said the testimony provided some vindication.
“I wanted [Lori] to hear what happened to all of us and realize the Church could have acted a lot earlier than they did,” she said. “That's what I said about Father McCaskill. The church knew about him. He could have been stopped in 1994. Instead, he went on to rape other people.”
Lori said he was deeply moved by the testimony.
“I’ve listened and met with victim survivors for a long, long time, and every time I listen, it shakes me every time,” he told reporters outside of the courthouse. “That's I just that's been my experience and will always be my experience.”
The Church filed for bankruptcy last October, virtually on the eve of a new law going into effect that would abolish the statute of limitations for sexual abuse in Maryland and allow alleged victims to sue the Church for up to $1.5 million.
“Chapter 11 reorganization is the best path forward to compensate equitably all victim-survivors, given the Archdiocese’s limited financial resources, which would have otherwise been exhausted on litigation,” Baltimore Archbishop William Lori said in an open letter to his congregation. “Staggering legal fees and large settlements or jury awards for a few victim-survivors would have depleted our financial resources, leaving the vast majority of victim-survivors without compensation, while ending ministries that families across Maryland rely on for material and spiritual support.”
Filings show that the Archdiocese was retaining lawyers and consultants that probably advised the Church on how it should move forward with the abuse cases. The filings show the Church paid more than a quarter of a million dollars for legal advice on bankruptcy.
The filings also show the organization has more than $200 million in assets, which include a Tiffany tea set, a diamond-encrusted crucifix, a sapphire-studded locket and dozens of solid gold rings.
Victims will have until May 31 to file for restitution. The court will hold one more hearing on May 20 to hear testimony from victims.