BALTIMORE — The clock is ticking for survivors to file claims of child sex abuse against the Archdiocese of Baltimore
Last April, a 456-page report named 146 priests and clergy members as abusers.
It also listed more than 600 victims spanning over eight decades.
After the Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy last September, a judge ruled survivors have until May 31 to file a claim.
Denise Adams, a survivor of child sexual abuse within the Archdiocese of Baltimore says she was sexually abused in her early teens.
"Is the world really not a safe place? Because the person who I was hoping to protect and take care of us really did awful things and hurt me," said Adams.
For years she sat quiet, scared her voice and story wouldn't be believed by anyone who heard it.
"Everybody loved him who would believe me? I'm nobody. I must be this bad person because bad things are happening to me and everyone loved him so much. That's all I heard about when I would go there," said Adams.
She says years after she saw her abuser again, she spoke up.
"I saw him walking down the street and bent down and had his arms out for a little girl to come run into his arms and it just hit me that oh my gosh he's still here and he's still doing these things he did to me to other people. That's when I went to the church. I went to the diocese and told them what happened to me," said Adams.
She says he was removed from the church but nothing further. Now, she's stepping up and taking legal action.
Sarah Klein is Adams' lawyer who is a child sex abuse survivor and advocate.
When you can give meaning to your suffering, give meaning to what happened to you, that can be the most beautiful healing thing possible," said Klein.
Now an advocate and lawyer for child sex abuse survivors, she and her client Adams are urging survivors to use their voice to get their power back with the deadline quickly approaching.
"It's a confidential process. You should be treated with kindness and respect and you will be believed throughout the process," said Klein.
"Knowing that we're doing something about it now and knowing that they removed that statute of limitations, knowing that people have a chance. If you were a victim of this, I would encourage anyone to come forward right now while you have time," said Adams.
