BALTIMORE (MD)
WBAL-TV, NBC-11 [Baltimore MD]
April 23, 2023
By David Collins
Experts gathered Saturday in Towson for a conference to help survivors of sexual abuse release the trauma, and it was an emotional, yet empowering event.
The Release the Baggage conference encouraged attendees not to be afraid to heal or to revisit past hurts and trauma. It embodied empowerment and provided guidance on how to unleash all the deep-seeded emotions and pain from abuse through motivational speakers.
Latarsha Haughton, author of “Breaking The Silence,” was sexually abused by her biological father and conceived his son.
“I learned how to keep a secret,” Haughton said.
She told the audience at the conference how to seek help and how to emotionally free themselves of the trauma and guilt. Her message to children is equally powerful.
“The message to them is tell someone. Break your silence. Because if you don’t, you will stay stagnated and you won’t be able to move forward. You will have an unforgiving heart. You will be angry. You will be frustrated. And, you will be doing things to numb the pain,” Haughton said.
The conference is timely, as it comes as survivors of child sexual abuse by clergy in the Archdiocese of Baltimore continue to struggle with the redacted release of the Maryland attorney general’s report on the extent of the abuse and church coverup.
Survivors are frustrated that the statute of limitations may allow enablers and abusers to escape criminal charges. The General Assembly recently passed legislation to eliminate the statute of limitations to file a civil lawsuit.
“When you live with this for so long, it’s almost like being a functional alcoholic. You start to think, ‘I don’t have a problem. I can get through my day. I can do things.’ But it is still damaging you. It’s still hurting you,” said Stephan Labossiere, a relationship coach.
Organizers of the conference said they hope the experience is lifechanging. They also made certified therapists available to anyone in the audience.
“Healing starts with being transparent. So, once we are transparent with ourselves, we can begin to not only heal ourselves, but heal the people around us,” said Chere Turner Munn, an organizer of the conference.
Other lessons taught include: “What happened to you was not your fault. You don’t have to live in shame. You don’t have to live with guilt.”
RECENT TIMELINE: Maryland Attorney General’s Church Sex Abuse Investigation
In the 1990s, the Archdiocese of Baltimore received complaints of sexual abuse involving some of its priests dating back decades.
Our sister station, WCVB, reported the clergy sex abuse scandal exploded in Boston in 2002 after The Boston Globe revealed that dozens of priests had molested and raped children for decades, while church supervisors covered it up and shuffled abusive priests from parish to parish.
In 2018, a sweeping Pennsylvania grand jury report accused senior church officials of systematically covering up complaints involving more than 1,000 children who were molested by roughly 300 Roman Catholic priests since the 1940s.
More victims in Baltimore came forward thereafter, leading the diocese to publish the names of dozens of clergy members accused of child sexual abuse dating back to the 1950s. The Maryland attorney general’s opened an investigation in 2018 that ultimately revealed decades of child sexual abuse and leadership’s efforts to cover it up.
The following is a timeline of the events that followed.
June 1, 2017
The Netflix documentary series “The Keepers” reveals a long-standing and baffling cold case, focusing on a Baltimore County police investigation into the disappearance and killing of Sister Cathy Cesnik. – Story
June 2, 2017
“The Keepers” focuses on a killing and years of molestation at a Baltimore high school, and it has helped to bring more victims to light. – Story
June 6, 2017
The story of young women who say they were abused at Archbishop Keough High School in the late 1960s through the early 1970s is highlighted in “The Keepers.” – Watch: Victim speaks out to 11 News
Aug. 16, 2018
Baltimore sexual abuse victims hope release of grand jury report in Pennsylvania will lead to action in Maryland. – Story
Sept. 25, 2018
Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh launches a review of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. – Story
Nov. 9, 2018
11 News I-Team Exclusive: Baltimore Archbishop William Lori addresses church sex abuse scandal: “We have to be held to the same high standard we hold our priests and lay employees and volunteers to. We should have the same standards and the same consequence.” – Watch
April 24, 2019
The archdiocese announces an additional 23 names of deceased priests and brothers previously and credibly accused of child sexual abuse to the diocese’s online list. – Story
Nov. 17, 2022
Frosh files a motion to release an investigative report of child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. – Story
Nov. 18, 2022
Court issues ruling, redacted report can be released after redacted copy is prepared.
– Story
Feb. 24, 2023
Sexual abuse survivors call on report to be released, investigation expanded. – Story
March 15, 2023
Court receives redacted report for review. – Story
April 4, 2023
Judge authorizes report’s release. – Story
April 5, 2023
Attorney General Anthony Brown’s office released the report, which reveals decades of child sexual abuse and the archdiocese leadership’s efforts to cover it up. The report lists 156 current or former Catholic clergy, seminarians, deacons, teachers at Catholic schools, others as having abused hundreds of children.
– Read the Report | Victims | List of Abusers | Exclusive: Lori responds | Signs to watch for
The same day of the report’s release, the Maryland House bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases, the Child Victims Act of 2023, was approved and sent to the governor. – Previous Report on the Bill
April 14, 2023
A reignited controversy over naming names is brewing over the attorney general’s report on child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The archdiocese posted a new FAQ page on its website about the attorney general’s report. The attorney general’s office released a series of statements, saying most of what the archdiocese said is untrue, misleading and unfair to survivors. – Story