BALTIMORE (MD)
WBFF - Fox 45 [Baltimore MD]
February 29, 2024
By Jeff Abell
Victims of abuse fear an approaching deadline could prevent many victims of the Catholic Church from coming forward.
Just hours before Maryland’s new law which abolished the statute of limitations for abuse victims was set to take effect, the Archdiocese of Baltimore filed for bankruptcy.
“Staggering legal fees and large settlements of jury awards for a few victim survivors would have depleted our financial resources,” said Archbishop William Lori last September.
The finances of the Archdiocese are now in the hands of a federal bankruptcy court.
The court has imposed a May 31 deadline for survivors to come forward with claims against the church.
“All the good the legislature has done and all the good the report has done for victims has been thwarted by this filing of bankruptcy,” said Attorney Michael Belsky who currently represents dozens of survivors.
After May 31, no other claims from survivors will be accepted by the court.