Black survivors have been nearly invisible in the Catholic Church sexual abuse crisis — even in Baltimore, home to a historic Black Catholic community. Cases of clergy abuse among African Americans are underreported, experts say, and the church generally does not publicly track victims’ race. This year, the Maryland attorney general released a scathing report, documenting abuse cases in the Baltimore archdiocese but leaving out context about race. An AP analysis subsequently found that out of 27 parishes in the archdiocese that have significant Black populations, at least 19 — 70% — previously had priests on staff who have been accused of sexual abuse.
Black survivors have been nearly invisible in the Catholic Church sexual abuse crisis — even in Baltimore, home to a historic Black Catholic community. Cases of clergy abuse among African Americans are underreported, experts say, and the church generally does not publicly track victims’ race. This year, the Maryland attorney general released a scathing report, documenting abuse cases in the Baltimore archdiocese but leaving out context about race. An AP analysis subsequently found that out of 27 parishes in the archdiocese that have significant Black populations, at least 19 — 70% — previously had priests on staff who have been accused of sexual abuse.
Charles Richardson, of Baltimore, wipes his eye while discussing his alleged abuse decades ago by a Catholic priest, in Baltimore on Wednesday, Sept. 20,
Cases of clergy abuse among African Americans are underreported, experts say, and the U.S. Catholic Church generally does not publicly track the race or ethnicity of victims