Deadline for sex abuse claims against Archdiocese of Baltimore set for May 31
BALTIMORE - Survivors of sexual abuse by clergy within the Archdiocese of Baltimore will have until May 31, 2024, to file a claim in the church's federal bankruptcy case, according to our media partner The Baltimore Banner.
Attorneys for the church, survivors and a bankruptcy judge agreed to the deadline during a hearing on Monday, the Banner reports.
More than 600 survivors are expected to file a claim against the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
According to the Banner, a judge will soon finalize the claims forms and submission process.
The Banner reports that the Archdiocese attorneys first proposed Feb. 26 — 150 days after the church filed for bankruptcy — as a starting place in the negotiations. However, a Baltimore Banner review found that 150 days would be about three months shorter than the average time allowed in the 35 other archdiocese and diocese bankruptcies across the U.S.
The Archdiocese filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September ahead of a new law that went into effect in October. The Child Victims Act eliminated the statute of limitations in child sexual abuse claims.
An Attorney General report this year identified more than 160 clergy and other church staff accused of abusing more than 600 victims.
