Summary: This episode continues difficult subject matter around childhood sexual abuse. *Part two coming January 23* The Keepers, a 7-part, Oscar nominated docuseries from Netflix, premiered in May of 2017, and existed on its surface as an investigation into the 1969 murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik, a 26-year-old nun and teacher at Arch Bishop Keough HS in Baltimore. But it was obvious right away that the murder of Sister Cathy wasn’t the only story that needed to be told. The series also helped to give a mainstream voice to several sexual abuse victims of Father Joseph Maskell, who was a counselor at the high school who died in 2001 and likely had a role in Sister Cathy’s murder, as it is believed that she was threatening to expose the profound abuse that was occurring to high school students at the hands of Maskell and other powerful community members, abuse that was covered up by the same powerful institutions. In the first part of this two part series, I am joined by Teresa Lancaster, who you will remember from the Keepers. She is one of the two women who first spoke out about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Maskell, and continues to work toward justice for Maskell’s victims, over 100 of which have come forward. Along with Jean Wehner, known then as Jane Doe, Teresa became known in 1994 as ‘Jane Roe,’ but, after horrific court proceedings, the Maryland Court of Appeals refused to allow the case to go to trial because the statue of limitations had passed. Nonetheless, that courageous act sparked the events that would go on to form The Keepers, and would allow a community to join together to fight for a long overdue justice, both for Sister Cathy, and for the victims of abuse at Keough and beyond. Teresa has since become a lawyer. Alan Horn, who was also featured in the Keepers documentary, is an amateur investigator who has voluntarily played a very helpful role in the path toward justice through his individual research. We are going to hear more about him, and also more from in the next episode. Both Teresa and Alan came to be associated with these cases in very different ways, but now both work toward the same goals. We will also be speaking with a woman named Dr. Pamela Pine, an expert in childhood sexual abuse, who will help us understand this abuse as a public health crisis. Thank you for listening to this very important episode. You can find more about Stop the Silence here: http://www.naasca.org/StopTheSilence/bio-PamelaPine.htm Behind True Crime is sponsored by Hunt A Killer, the monthly murder mystery subscription box service. Check them out at huntakiller.com and use the code BEHIND for 10% off your first order.
