https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/news documents/OAG_redacted_Report_on_Child_Sexual_Abuse.pdf
“One of the most distressing aspects of the abuse is the frequency with which abusers continued their behavior even after victims came forward or concerns were raised.” (Page 10.)
Actually, it is distressing to me that this is seemingly a surprise to the authors of the report. A common conclusion in emails I receive from people who have tried to report childhood sexual abuse to law enforcement is “No one cares.” That this is true in the setting of the Catholic Church is even less of a surprise.
See also, https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/religion/church-report-maskell-keepers-6JDJSLRFBFAGBI2GWMI35G3FH4/. If you haven’t watched 2017 Netflix documentary The Keepers, you should. In response to the documentary, the Archdiocese of Baltimore added a FAQ section to its website where it stated that any allegations that the church knew about Fr. Anthony Joseph Maskell’s sexual abuse and rapes before 1992 were just false speculation. Maskell’s name appears over 200 times in the 450-page report. They knew about this man’s crimes prior to 1992. As usual, the church is full of shit. https://www.wbaltv.com/article/church-abuse-father-joseph-maskell-attorney-general-report/43524030#.
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Thanks for the reminder that “The Keepers” was set in Baltimore. I had totally forgotten, and I’m going to watch it again with a fresh eye.
Here’s the Bishops’ Accountability page on Fr. Maskell and his partner in crime, Fr. Magnus. As for the Catholic Church? “Full of shit” would be the nicest thing I could say about it.
Fr. A. Joseph Maskell
Ordained: 1965
Status: Accused
Died: 05/7/2001
Diocese: Archdiocese of Baltimore MD
Parish priest, Keough High chaplain and counselor, police chaplain. Per 1994 lawsuit, abused girls at Keough, late 1960s-early 1970s. Subject of investigation into the 1969 murder of Sr. Catherine Cesnik. Student said she told Sr. Cathy of abuse by Maskell; Sr. Cathy soon went missing, later found murdered. The former student said in 1994 that Maskell drove her to a remote area and showed her the body. The archdiocese settled with her in 1/2017. Another former student said two police officers sexually abused her while Maskell looked on. Said to have drugged victims and shown a gun. Placed on leave in 1992; reinstated 1993-1994. Removed again in 1994 after new allegations. Fled to Ireland; worked as a psychologist, including with children. Died in 2001. Name included on the archdiocese’s list in 9/2002. By 5/2017 the archdiocese paid $472K to 16 people with accusations against Maskell. One man said Maskell sexually abused him as an 8th grade altar boy and his mother told the archdiocese in 5/1967; Maskell was then moved to Keough. An Irish accuser surfaced in 5/2017. HSE was investigating in 6/2017.
Assignments:
Archdiocese of Baltimore List via Baltimore Sun 09.26.02
BishopAccountability.org Assignment Record
Fr. E. Neil Magnus
Ordained: 1963
Status: Accused
Died: 11/27/1988
Diocese: Archdiocese of Baltimore MD
A woman received “acknowledgment of crimes” and financial assistance for counseling from the archdiocese in 11/2016 due to her claims of rape by Magnus and another priest, Rev. Joseph Maskell. Magnus was Keough High School’s Religious Services Director, Maskell was chaplain and counselor. Per the woman they raped her at a CYO picnic in 9/1970, when she was age 14 and a new Keough student. She said Magnus showed up in a police car and that the rape occurred after she was given a drink that weakened her. She said Maskell watched, then also raped her, and that his assaults continued through her high school years. She claimed, too, that on one occasion a Baltimore police officer joined Maskell and, after paying the priest, raped her. Magnus died 11/2719/88. Magnus has been accused by at least one other former student, and Maskell by many. Both men have been implicated in the unsolved 1969 murder of Sr. Cathy Cesnik, to whom girls had confided abuse. On archdiocese’s list 12/14/2018.
I watched it again, Mary. It made me think of many things, including
how Michigan pedophile priest Gary Berthiaume is no doubt serving time for only a fraction of the sex crimes he committed over the decades. He was questioned and polygraphed in the OCCK case, but we all know now how worthless a Michigan polygraph was back then. If/when these pieces of garbage are finally charged and convicted after decades of sex crimes and protection by the Catholic church, they are old men and the state takes pity on them at sentencing due to their advanced age. There should be a massive sentence enhancement for abusing a position of trust to facilitate sex crimes.