Orthodox Archbishop Denies Sexually Assaulting Pre-teen Brothers at His Winnipeg Home Almost 30 Years Ago

National Post
September 13, 2013

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/09/13/seraphim-storheim-sexual-assault-trial/

Archbishop Seraphim Storheim — the Canadian head of the Orthodox Church in America —speaks at Parliament Hill in Ottawa in this April 15, 1999 file photo. Storheim is accused of sexually assaulting two pre-teen brothers during a visit to his home 30 years ago.

An Orthodox archbishop accused of sexually assaulting two brothers almost 30 years ago denied doing anything inappropriate but told a Winnipeg court he did talk to one of the boys about puberty.

“It was one of the stupider things I’ve done in my life,” Seraphim Storheim told Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Christopher Mainella on Thursday. “The thing I regret most is engaging in this conversation about puberty.”

Storheim said he met the boys in the early 1980s when he was posted to London, Ont. The 67-year-old testified he saw the boys and their single mother at least once or twice a week during that time. Later Thursday he asked to change his testimony to say he had seen them once or twice a month.

The boys were vivacious, hard-working and obedient, he said.

When he moved to Winnipeg, Storheim said he agreed to have the boys stay with him separately during the summer of 1985 to further their Christian education. He is accused of sexually assaulting the pre-teens during those visits.

The men have testified Storheim walked around naked and asked them to touch him sexually.

Storheim vehemently denied anything inappropriate took place.