O’Toole, Henry (Fr.)

In the early 1970s, a woman reported Father Henry O’Toole sexually abused her when she was twelve to thirteen. She was chosen to work in the rectory at Our Lady of Fatima in East Baltimore and O’Toole began complimenting her and later abused her by unbuttoning her blouse and fondling her. She reported the abuse to O’Toole’s superiors, but they brushed it off. The survivor internalized the blame and suffered devastating effects until she decided to report the abuse. The Archdiocese notified the Redemptorist Order and reported the abuse to the Child Protective Services Office, but no investigation was launched as the victim was an adult at the time of reporting.

In 2002, the Archdiocese publicized the allegations against O’Toole, and he was removed from a parish setting, evaluated, and retired to Florida. O’Toole was listed as credibly accused by the Archdiocese in 2002. He died on March 14, 2003.