Fr. Edward Neil Magnus
Archdiocese of Baltimore
Ordained: 1963
Died: 1988
Assignment History:
- 1963-1969: Assistant Pastor, St. John’s, Long Green, MD
- 1964-1969: Part-Time Teacher, John Carroll High School, Belair, MD
- 1969: Associate Pastor, St. Jane de Frances Parish, Pasadena, MD
- 1969-1972: Teacher, Archbishop Keough High School, Baltimore, MD
- 1969-1973: In residence, Cardinal Gibbons High School, Baltimore, MD
- 1969-1982: Weekend Assistant, St. Lawrence Parish, Baltimore, MD
- 1972: Summer Associate Pastor, St. Lawrence Parish, Baltimore, MD
- 1972-1982: Chaplain, Mount St. Joseph High School, Baltimore, MD
- 1982-1984: Principal, Towson Catholic High School, Baltimore, MD
- 1984-1988: Procurator-Advocate of the Tribunal
- 1984-1988: Weekend Assistant, St. Joseph, Fullerton, MD
Summary of Abuse Allegations Against Fr. E. Neil Magnus:
Fr. Edward Neil Magnus was one of the 156 priests identified by the Maryland Attorney General as having been accused of sexually abusing minors during their tenure with the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
According to the Attorney General’s report, Fr. Magnus worked alongside Fr. Joseph Maskell, another abuser identified by the Maryland Attorney General, at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore. Many of the victims of Fr. Maskell described Fr. Magnus as a fellow abuser, participating in and being present for the sexual abuse of the victims.
According to the Attorney General’s report, a woman reported in 1992 having been sexually abused by Fr. Magnus and Fr. Maskell in the late 1960s at Archbishop Keough High School every two to three weeks for multiple years. Fr. Magnus directed the victim and two other girls to undress and then photographed them on multiple occasions.
According to the Attorney General’s report, in or before 2016, a woman reported having been sexually abused by Fr. Magnus. The victim attended a picnic with Fr. Magnus in 1970 when she was 14. Fr. Magnus gave the victim a drink, believed to be drugged, and brought her to a police car, where Fr. Magnus raped the victim while Fr. Maskell watched. The Archdiocese entered a settlement with the victim in 2016.
According to the report, a woman reported in 2016 having been sexually abused by Fr. Magnus at Archbishop Keough when she was between the ages of 14 and 17 years old. The victim would go to Fr. Magnus’ classroom when she had a problem, where Fr. Magnus would give the victim cigarettes, have her sit on his lap, and sexually abuse her.
According to the report, a woman reported in 2017 having been sexually abused by Fr. Magnus along with Fr. Maskell and a police officer. Fr. Maskell frequently called the victim to his office to administer Rorschach tests. When the victim attempted to hide, Fr. Magnus retrieved her and brought her to Fr. Maskell’s office, where the victim was raped by Fr. Magnus and Fr. Maskell. The victim was raped by both men on a separate occasion, with an unidentified man in a police uniform present in the room.
According to the report, a woman reported in 2017 having been sexually abused by Fr. Magnus while she was a student at Archbishop Keough. The victim was sitting alone in the chapel when Fr. Magnus sat next to her and sexually assaulted her.
According to the report, a woman reported in 2017 having been sexually abused by Fr. Magnus and a police officer when she was 11 years old and attending St. Clement. Fr. Magnus picked the victim up from a dance, took the victim to his car and raped her. Later, Fr. Magnus performed an exorcism on the victim, in which Fr. Magnus cut the victim with a crucifix and raped her alongside the police officer. Fr. Magnus and the police officer physically and sexually abused the victim with the crucifix. This event was followed by a series of additional rapes by Fr. Magnus, the police officer, and others at local hotels.
According to the report, a woman reported in 2017 having been sexually abused by Fr. Magnus and Fr. Maskell between 1970 and 1972, when she was 16 years old and a student at Archbishop Keough. The victim was a good student and outgoing but struggled with family issues. Fr. Maskell then began counseling her regularly and began to abuse the victim sexually. Fr. Magnus would enter the office and physically and sexually abuse the victim. On one occasion, while the victim was at her home recovering from a health issue, Fr. Magnus and Fr. Maskell entered the victim’s home with the permission of the victim’s mother. Fr. Magnus and Fr. Maskell then raped the victim multiple times.
Fr. Magnus’ name appears on the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s list of priests credibly accused of sexually abusing minors. According to the Attorney General’s report, Fr. Magnus died in 1988.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Maryland. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Maryland, contact our office today. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse nationwide. We can help. Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.