CHILDREN, by the hundreds, possibly thousands, were forced to endure sexual assault and abuse by predatory clergy of the Archdiocese of Baltimore (AOB). Those innocent girls and boys were severely injured, physically and emotionally; many were raped. The 2017 Netflix series, The Keepers, told much of their story, but it only scratched the ugly surface of childhood sexual abuse. All victims of abuse, and I am among them, have been  intimidated, shamed, and silenced over much of our lives by our abusers and enablers. Our innocence and our childhood were stolen. And we’ve never fully known the true meaning of justice. In Maryland a completed report of the four-year Maryland Attorney General  investigation into abuse and the AOB has yet to see the light of day. 

WHY IS JUSTICE FOR MARYLAND SURVIVORS SO ELUSIVE?

UNLIKE NUMEROUS OTHER STATES, where lawmakers have championed the civil rights of sexual abuse victims, including but by no means limited to clergy abuse victims, Maryland has failed its survivors. Our State has a flawed statute-of-limitation law that protects perpetrators, including serial predator priests; updated in 2017, state law now requires childhood sexual abuse victims seeking justice to file claims before their 38th birthday. That is absolutely useless to survivors when the average age of disclosure is 52 years old. (I was abused at 16 by a parochial school guidance counselor, in another state, where years later I was legally able to bring a claim). Previous attempts to correct this Maryland statutory injustice were met with fierce opposition, mainly from the AOB, and died in a state Senate legislative committee. But, thankfully, it’s a new day in Annapolis; there’s a new Governor and Chair of the Senate  Judiciary Committee, and survivors may finally be able to hold accountable all those responsible for life-shattering injuries.

SIGN ON, STAND UP FOR SURVIVORS

HOUSE BILL 1, THE NEW CHILD VICTIMS ACT OF 2023 (there is also a Senate version), introduced by Delegate/Survivor C.T. Wilson (D-Charles), if passed and signed into law as proposed would give every child sexual abuse survivor – regardless of their age - the right to file a claim during a “lookback window” period. In new cases of child sexual abuse, there would be no time limit on filing civil claims. This isn’t revolutionary (many other states have already done it). It is fair and just. And long overdue! 

BUT PASSAGE ISN’T GOING TO BE EASY

 Together – making calls/visits to lawmakers, raising awareness through education, signing petitions like this one – sharing personal survivor stories of hurt and renewed hope - we can and will make a difference. In Maryland, we are blessed to have an incredible network of advocates including the collaborative, grassroots-based Justice for MD Survivors, Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests (SNAP, Maryland Chapter), Crime Victims Resource Center, and Baltimore-based civil rights lawyers, along with other invaluable evidence-based resources.

We thank you for viewing this petition and request that it be passed along for others to sign - not just residents of Maryland. I will keep you posted through this page on the latest legislative news, and, in conjunction with Justice for MD Survivors, ongoing advocacy activities.