UNITED STATES
CBS News
[with video]
A crime series has prompted new calls for the Baltimore Archdiocese to release documents about a controversial priest.
“The Keepers” is a Netflix documentary series following Father Joseph Maskell and his alleged abuse of teenage girls at a Catholic high school.
It explores whether Maskell, who died in 2001, was connected to the unsolved murder of a nun.
More than 40,000 people have signed an online petition since the documentary’s release, reports CBS News’ Jan Crawford. …
“To my knowledge, the church has never voluntarily released any documents pertaining to the clergy abuse crisis,” said Terry McKiernan of Bishopaccountability.org.
McKiernan’s organization, which has no affiliation with the church, has published abuse documents from about a dozen archdioceses and religious orders. But he says, in each case, the files were released only after the church was legally forced to do so.
The Baltimore Archdiocese has paid nearly half a million dollars to more than a dozen people Maskell is accused of abusing. In a statement, they say state law and church policy precludes them from releasing his records because they include “personnel records, health records” and “attorney-client communications.”
“The Keepers” is just the latest crime drama to lead to public outcry over perceived injustices. The podcast, “Serial,” along with television series like “The Jinx” and “Making a Murderer” have both pushed audiences to dissect evidence on social media and led to re-examination in each case.
“The Keepers” director Ryan White says the audience could now be a critical component to accessing Maskell’s file—and cracking the case.
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