The long-awaited 456-page grand jury report detailing decades of sexual abuse and cover-ups within the Archdiocese of Baltimore will be released on Wednesday afternoon.

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Survivors of abuse express mixed emotions about Baltimore Catholic Church investigation

By Cadence Quaranta and Penelope Blackwell
Elizabeth Murphy, left, and Linda Malat-Tiburzi talk about the release of an investigative report into sexual abuse by Archdiocese of Baltimore personnel. (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner)
Elizabeth Murphy, left, and Linda Malat-Tiburzi talk about the release of an investigative report into sexual abuse by Archdiocese of Baltimore personnel. (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner)

Shortly before the release of Wednesday’s explosive report, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown met with survivors who’d been abused as children by Archdiocese of Baltimore personnel decades ago.

Kurt Rupprecht, who said he was sexually and physically abused in 1979, called the meeting “tremendous.”

“The time today with Attorney General Brown was heartfelt and inspiring, and we’re just deeply grateful,” he said.

The survivors thanked Brown, and he thanked them, Rupprecht said, and discussed some next steps — specifically the need to do a full investigation into abuse in the archdioceses of Wilmington and Washington, as well.

Survivors who attended were also handed a packet of pages extracted from the full report. Officials explained why some names were redacted, and said they ultimately hoped to have a report come out with fewer redactions or none at all.

“We need the rest of the people out there on the street or in the pews to realize how extreme, widespread and, frankly, violent and vile this behavior has been, and it’s behavior that could certainly repeat itself if not properly exposed or addressed,” Rupprecht said.

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Church referred to records of priests accused of abuse as seminarians as ‘bad boy’ files

By Hallie Miller

A church official referred to records for a handful of priests who committed abuse as seminarians as “bad boy” files in an internal email, according to the attorney general’s report.

The name of the official, who sent an email in 2002 about the files, is redacted in the report.

Among the priests is Father John Banko, who was first accused in 1992 of inappropriate touching and sex solicitation by a victim in a movie theater.

Other seminarians who sexually abused children in Maryland include Father Mark Haight, Father Francis McGrath, Father Bruce Ball, Father Michael LaMountain and Father Raymond Melville, according to the report.

Banko was later accused in 2002 of a decade of abuse against one victim, who is described in the report as a "learning disabled" student at Boys' Latin.

The victim said he was fondled, touched and orally raped by Banko, who continued to visit the victim and his family even after he left Baltimore.

In 2000, Banko was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of an 11-year-old altar boy in New Jersey and sentenced to 18 years in prison. Three men testified during sentencing of being groomed and sexually assaulted by Banko as well.

In 2006, he was sentenced to 26 additional years after being convicted of sexually assaulting another boy at St. Edward the Confessor in 1994 and 1995.

Though the New Jersey prosecutor's office described Banko as a “repetitive and compulsive” sex offender, the Diocese of Metuchen did not comment at the time on whether he would be laicized or could return to active ministry.

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As investigation details abuse, lawmakers approve bill allowing more victim lawsuits

By Callan Tansill-Suddath
Del. Luke Clippinger embraces Del. C.T. Wilson after HB1, the Child Victims Act that Wilson sponsored, passed with an overwhelming majority in the Maryland House of Delegates on Friday, March 31, 2023. Clippinger, a Baltimore City Democrat, leads the committee that considered the bill, and has been a vocal supporter. (Ulysses Muñoz/The Baltimore Banner)
Del. Luke Clippinger embraces Del. C.T. Wilson after HB1, the Child Victims Act that Wilson sponsored, passed with an overwhelming majority in the Maryland House of Delegates on Friday, March 31, 2023. Clippinger, a Baltimore City Democrat, leads the committee that considered the bill, and has been a vocal supporter. (Ulysses Muñoz/The Baltimore Banner)

Maryland lawmakers approved a bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations for victims of child sexual abuse less than an hour after the release of an investigative report detailing decades of abuse within Maryland churches.

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