On Monday, a federal bankruptcy court judge ruled that all sexual abuse claims against the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore must be filed by May 31, 2024, they will be forfeited forever. The ruling sets May 31, 2024, as the “bar date,” or the very final day that anyone sexually abused and exploited by clergy, employees, and volunteers in the Archdiocese of Baltimore can seek accountability for what happened to them.
In late September 2023, the Baltimore Archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, days before a new Maryland law would have allowed survivors of abuse to file lawsuits against the Archdiocese regardless of when the abuse took place.
In April 2023, Maryland’s Attorney General, Anthony Brown, released a report of his office’s investigation into child sexual abuse allegations at the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The report listed nearly 160 priests and clergy who were the subjects of sexual abuse allegations during their career, and, in many cases, also outlined steps taken by Archdiocese officials to coverup the allegations and expose more innocent children to danger.
Through our own investigation at Horowitz Law, we have identified 202 clergy and lay persons who have been publicly accused of sexually abusing children in the Baltimore Archdiocese, a staggering number given the Catholic population of the area.
The May 31, 2024, filing deadline is referred to as a “bar date” by the Bankruptcy Court because the Archdiocese will be forever immune from suit in any sexual abuse claim not filed by that date. Survivors of past abuse will never again have any chance for accountability after May 31, so it is critically important that you contact a lawyer today if you were harmed by an employee or volunteer in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, including priests, other clergy, teachers, coaches, and volunteers. This filing deadline also applies anyone sexually abused as an adult and the estates of deceased victims. The identities of people filing claims in the bankruptcy remain confidential; they are not published as part of a public record unless a survivor specifically requests it.
Our attorneys have decades of experience representing victims of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. Contact us confidentially now.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The Archdiocese of Baltimore filed for federal bankruptcy protection in September 2023. Our lawyers are now offering free legal consultations to discuss your legal options as a survivor of sexual abuse by priests and other employees of the Baltimore Archdiocese.
Very strict filing deadlines have now been set by the Bankruptcy Court. Most victims of abuse will never be able to recover damages if they miss this deadline, so please contact us to discuss your case today. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an e-mail to [email protected].