The following Decree on Child Protection is the policy of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Queen of Peace faculty members, personnel, and volunteers are required to adhere to this policy.
Although the abuse of children and adolescents is a reality in our society, such abuse, whether mental, physical, or sexual, whether inflicted by lay persons or clerics, professionals or volunteers, cannot be tolerated in the church. The Archdiocese recognizes the need to address child abuse and attempts to do so through this Decree.
The purpose of this Decree is two fold. It is intended first to prevent the abuse of children and adolescents. Prevention can best be achieved by educating children, parents, professionals, and volunteers who aspire to serve the youth of our parishes and other institutions and through assistance to those who might be inclined toward abuse. The second purpose of the Decree is to provide a system for handling incidents of abuse after they occur. The key elements of this system include a thorough assessment of the allegation, care for the victim and the victim’s family, appropriate action with regard to the accused person and attention to the affected local church community.
There are a number of principles which underlie the details of this Decree:
1. Allegations of child abuse are to be taken seriously.
2. Incidents of abuse are to be handled forthrightly, but with due regard for confidentiality and privacy, especially with regard to the victim.
3. The Archdiocese will cooperate with the civil authorities responsible for handling incidents of child abuse.
4. A victim should never be held responsible for the abuse.
5. The paramount concern of the Archdiocese is the well-being of the victim and the victim’s family.