As part of our ongoing commitment to creating a safe haven for everyone, please be reminded that our diocese values the tenet of our baptismal covenant to "respect the dignity of every human being." Part of the way we live into that is to train people in the prevention of sexual misconduct. Hand-in-hand with training is reporting incidences of sexual misconduct. All reported incidences are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly and confidentially. If you believe you have experienced sexual misconduct of any kind, please contact the Rev. Canon Suzann V. Holding immediately: sholding@edsd.org or 619-481-5452.
As defined by our Safeguarding God's People manual, sexual abuse of a child is when parents or those responsible "commit or allow to be committed any illegal sexual act upon that child, including incest, rape, indecent exposure and prostitution, or to allow that child to be used in any sexually explicit visual material." Regarding adults, our manual states that, "it is particularly important to be careful in our relationships with those under our care or authority, where there may be a power differential. Where clergy or others in positions of authority are the subject of sexual advances by others, they must accept responsibility for maintaining those appropriate boundaries. Not to do so is an abuse of power and a betrayal of trust," (pages 5-6).