A new report from Maryland’s Attorney General has exposed some disturbing truths about the Catholic Church’s troubling history in Baltimore related to the sexual abuse of children. The findings suggest a long line of cases in which children were raped, molested, and otherwise abused by members of the church leadership. It also detailed how the church worked to cover up these abuses and protect predators among its ranks.

The 463-page report was the result of an investigation that began in 2018. It uncovered a disgraceful history of pervasive sexual abuse by clergy, seminarians, deacons, and employees of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The report, which features cases dating back to the 1940s, details ongoing efforts by Catholic Church leaders to cover up sexual abuse. Hundreds of thousands of documents, including personnel records and policies and procedures, were produced in response to subpoenas issued by the Grand Jury of Baltimore City.

Abusers frequently targeted vulnerable children and posed as “protectors and friends” of their families. They groomed their victims with “presents and special attention” and normalized sexual behavior as “rough housing.” These individuals told the children that the abuse was “God’s will” and pointed out that if the victims discussed the abuse with others, the priest’s word would be taken more seriously. In some cases, clergy members told their victims that they, or their loved ones, would go to hell if they told anyone else about their abuse.

The document also highlights the refusal of church officials to address the abuse. Bishops and other leaders in the church often “displayed empathy for the abusers that far outweighed any compassion shown to the children who were abused.” Investigations were conducted by clergy who were neither trained as investigators nor independent of the church, and often, they questioned only the victim and abuser and made little or no attempt to seek corroboration or evidence of additional victims.

Although most of the abusers and those who concealed their wrongdoing are deceased, the report sought to shed light on the stories of the Catholic Church’s repeated abuse of children.

The report notes that the Attorney General’s office “created an email address and telephone hotline” for people to report the abuse. “Over three hundred people contacted the office” and officials “interviewed hundreds of victims and witnesses.”

The Attorney General’s Office noted that church leaders “often singled out children who were especially isolated or vulnerable because of shyness, lack of confidence, or problems at home.”

Of particular interest is how church leadership responded when abuses were reported:

Until recent decades, church officials who received complaints of abuse behaved no better. Time and again, bishops and other leaders in the church displayed empathy for the abusers that far outweighed any compassion shown to the children who were abused. These leaders repeatedly accepted the word of abusers over that of victims and their families. They conflated pedophilia with alcoholism and other substance use disorders, and they exhibited a misplaced reliance on “treatment.” When “investigations” were conducted, they were done by clergy who were neither trained as investigators nor independent of the church. These “investigators” typically questioned only the victim and abuser and made little or no attempt to seek corroboration or evidence of additional victims.

The report notes that even when investigations exposed “undeniable abuse,” the Archdiocese “removed the abuser from the parish, but gave either no reason or a false reason for the removal.”

Indeed, they typically transferred the abuser to other parishes “without warning parishioners of the prior abuse.”

More than 600 children were abused by the 156 individuals documented in the report, which also suggests that “the number is likely far higher.”

Parents felt comfortable allowing priests access to their children because they trusted their position as spiritual leaders. One individual described how she felt honored to work with Father Henry O’Toole in the rectory until he began abusing her. “When she was alone with him in the rectory, he opened her shirt and fondled her,” the report said.

In another instance, a mother consulted with Father Jerome Toohey for support after a divorce. She wanted him to counsel her son. But instead of providing comfort and guidance, the report says he “proceeded to sexually abuse the boy for three years.”

Father Robert Hopkins abused an altar boy who worked with him in the rectory. The boy’s parents trusted him enough to allow their son to spend the night at the rectory. “Hopkins raped him for five years,” the report states.

The Attorney General’s Office lists story after story detailing how clergy members preyed on young boys and girls without ever being held accountable. Many of these individuals abused multiple kids. One abused “at least 39 victims.”

Archbishop William E. Lori, who heads the Archdiocese of Baltimore, issued a statement on Wednesday addressing the report. He offered no denial and acknowledged the history of abuse. “The detailed accounts of abuse are shocking and soul searing,” he wrote. “It is difficult for most to imagine that such evil acts could have actually occurred. For victim-survivors everywhere, they know the hard truth: These evil acts did occur.”

The history of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in America is a complex and deeply troubling issue that has been unfolding for decades. The first known case of sexual abuse by a priest in the United States dates back to the 1950s, but it wasn’t until the 1980s and 1990s that the issue began to gain widespread attention.

One of the most high-profile cases was that of Cardinal Bernard Law, who was the Archbishop of Boston from 1984 to 2002. In 2002, it was revealed that Law had covered up the sexual abuse of children by dozens of priests in his diocese. This scandal led to Law’s resignation and a widespread investigation into sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in the United States.

Since then, the issue has continued to dominate headlines, with new allegations and revelations emerging on a regular basis. In 2018, a grand jury report in Pennsylvania revealed that over 300 priests had sexually abused more than 1,000 children over a period of several decades. This was followed by similar reports in other states, including New York, Illinois, and Michigan.

The Catholic Church in America has struggled to come to terms with the scale of the problem and to implement meaningful reforms to prevent further abuse. Despite some progress in recent years, many victims and their families continue to seek justice and accountability for the harm that has been done to them.