Part 20, The Fish Rots From The Head: Maryland Attorney General's Report on Catholic Church Clergy Abuse (135 -- 137)
Trigger Warning: Rape. Consider not reading the rest of this post if you are a victim or survivor.
Please Note:
If you are a victim / survivor of any other cleric assigned in the the Archdiocese of Baltimore, please be aware that due to William Lori’s long oppositon to Child Victims Act legislation, (alleged) dishonest fiscal money moving practices, and recent decision to make use of the justice-obstructing Bankruptcy ruse to cheat survivors / victims of clergy abuse and clergy child rape in the Arch Diocese of Baltimore, those wishing to file complaints must do so before May 31, 2024. Please know that many of the attorneys handling these cases do so on contingency bases. The representatives of the Archdiocese of Baltimore do not have victims interests at heart. Please consult attorneys if you are interested in just outcomes.
May 31, 2024 is the deadline for filing cases against the Archdiocese of Baltimore
Trigger Warning: Rape. Consider not reading the rest of this post if you are a victim or survivor.
According to the victim who reported Father Luigi Esposito in 2018, the priest began grooming her when she was between the ages of 5 and 7, but did not begin sexually abusing her until she was 14. Esposito sexually assaulted this child in the school office, classrooms, the rector, and in his car. “The victim believed Esposito was obsessed and in love with her." The victim remembered her genitals being sore due to how rough he was.
Esposito told her when he ejaculated, ‘you made me spill seed, and would say that no one is supposed to spill seed’ unless they were making a baby. When the victim was 15-16 years old, the victim removed herself from the situation.
The Archdiocese made the mandatory report of the abuse to authorities and Esposito was removed from ministry and his faculties to function as a priest were revoked.
Another of Esposito’s alleged victims came forward in 2018. Esposito allegedly assaulted her in 1972-1973 during which time she was 14.
In April 2006, Esposito hired an alleged rapist, Deacon Thomas Kuhl,a religion teacher who had been removed from ministry after being arrested for soliciting a plainclothes police officer for sex, to participate in Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday Masses. Kuhl was removed from teaching after a few different victims came forward claiming that he had raped them. Kuhl was banned from setting foot on archdiocese property and from taking part in any parish/church activity.
The investigation, accusations and disposition of the case were reported in the archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Review, and Baltimore Sun. The the cardinal of Baltimore, William Keeler, sanctioned and investigated Esposito, placed him on leave, but returned Esposito to ministry.
This account highlights the norm whereby bishops, priests and others saw men found to have raped and sexually assaulted minor children fit enough to work as fill-in priests, even when civil authorities had gotten involved, as was the case with Deacon Kuhl.
The Esposito case offers a good example of the way arrested psychosexual development figures in. Esposito when interviewed by the diocese described his activities as being a response to a girl’s “crush” on him. In another instance he alludes to having a “crush” on a (minor) girl he sexually assaulted.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore added Esposito’s name to the list of credibly accused priests in 2018.
Deacon Kuhl was never added to a list of credibly accused clerics, because the Archdiocese of Baltimore has no such lists for members of the Diaconate.
MMS
March 21, 2024 .
NYC