CANADA
Winnipeg Free Press
By: Mike McIntyre
Posted: 09/13/2013
He stands accused of serious criminal allegations: molesting two young brothers while working as a parish priest in Winnipeg.
But Seraphim Storheim took the witness stand in his own defence Thursday and said the only thing he’s guilty of is caring too much for a troubled family he took under his wing.
“I overstepped a sense of compassion,” said Storheim, 67, who is now an archbishop with the Orthodox Church in America, which has historical ties to the Russian Orthodox Church.
“I felt compassion for this particular family, so I paid more attention to that family trying to support and encourage them.”
Storheim has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault in incidents that allegedly occurred 28 years ago but were only recently reported to police.
Storheim admits he talked to the 11-year-old boys about puberty and body development, which included specific comments about ejaculation and pubic hair. He said the topic only came up during Bible study when the boys began asking questions. He said he regrets not quickly changing the subject.
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