Storheim’s Appeal Denied, Victims’ Group Responds

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Today, the appellate court announced that it denied the appeal of convicted child molester Archbishop Seraphim Storheim. For many years, Storheim was the highest-ranking Orthodox Church in America (OCA) official in Canada. We’re extremely grateful for this decision.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Former-archibishop-loses-appeal-heads-to–290963101.html

We hope that the two men who courageously testified about what they had suffered at Storheim’s hands will again feel vindicated. Without their bravery, the conviction wouldn’t have been possible and kids would still be at risk. Now that Storheim had his conviction affirmed, we hope that the OCA will finally act to remove him from the ranks of clergy. We also hope that the Archdiocese of Canada would check its records to insure that the archbishop didn’t use his position to shield other predators or to discipline whistleblowers. Finally, we recognise that paedophiles usually have many victims. We beg anyone who suffered, saw, or suspected Storheim’s crimes to report to professionals in law enforcement and help protect kids. The archbishop worked in the following locations:

• 30 May 1980-31 January 1981: Supply priest in Valamo Monastery (Finland)
• January 1981-October 1982: Missionary priest, Alberta (Canada)
• October 1982-15 December 1983: Missionary priest, Charlotte NC (USA)
• 15 December 1983-1 December 1984: Missionary priest in London ON (Canada)
• 1 December 1984-13 June 1987: Rector of Holy Trinity Sobor, Winnipeg MB (Canada)
• 13 June 1987-29 June 1990: Bishop of Edmonton AB (Canada)
• 28 October 1990-21 March 2014: Ruling hierarch of the Archdiocese of Canada, with his seat in Ottawa ON (Canada)

If anyone has further information, contact Cappy and Mel… go to Pokrov.org and follow the contact instructions.

5 February 2015

(no URL available… sent to me as cut n’ paste)

Editor:

Cappy and Mel have gone through hell from the goodthinkers. I’ll say this… NO ONE has the right to abuse our kids, and clergy DON’T get a “get out of jail free” card for being clergy. Cappy and Mel have “fought the good fight” and deserve praise for hangin’ in there. This is too much… first, the Brittain kiddie-porn thing; now, this. As a MP priest abroad said to me, “Which one of the OCA bishops isn’t a poof?” It’s coming home to roost.

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON ANY ABUSE OF ANY KIND COMMITTED BY ANYONE IN THE CHURCH… CONTACT CAPPY AND MEL… GO TO POKROV.ORG. There are contact instructions to help you along.

We’re Christians… that’s what we do…

BMD

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Court Reserves Decision in Ex-Archbishop’s Sex Assault Appeal

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Manitoba’s Court of Appeal reserved its decision on an appeal by Seraphim Kenneth Storheim, a former archbishop convicted of sexually assaulting an altar boy in the 1980s. On Friday morning, Storheim’s lawyer, Jeff Gindin, appeared before the court with photographs that he claims call a key witness’s testimony into question. Gindin said that the photographs show that the witness was not with Storheim in 1985, but in 1986. However, the appeal court justices questioned the validity of the photos… whether they show the boy in question and whether they were, in fact, taken in 1986. They pointed up that the witness who presented the photos to Gindin hasn’t signed an affidavit. The justices also questioned why the witness didn’t come forward during the trial. The judges said that the new evidence isn’t particularly “material”. The Crown argued that the photos are unverified, and even if they were admissible, they wouldn’t be enough to overturn the conviction. Prosecutors told the court that the only affidavit signed regarding new information was by an administrative assistant who was unable to verify the identity of the boy depicted in the photographs. Gindin argued that there wasn’t a “fair analysis of evidence” during the trial. The hearing continued until about 13.30, with the justices reserving their decision on the matter.

In January, a Manitoba court found Storheim guilty of sexual assault involving one of two brothers, who claim that the then-priest assaulted them when they were pre-teens. The brothers, who are now in their 30s, testified during the trial that they lived with Storheim briefly, on separate occasions, when they worked as altar boys in 1985.

31 October 2014

Katie Nicholson

CBC

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/court-reserves-decision-in-ex-archbishop-s-sex-assault-appeal-1.2819696

Editor:

Gindin is a weaselly sack o’ shit who based his defence on shredding the cred of the victims. That’s why many victims don’t come forward… the lawyer for the defence clobbers ‘em in the court without mercy and all the goodthinkers trash them in all sorts of public venues, especially, the internet. It’s a wonder that anyone comes forward at all… I’d say that the loud claques around clergy are the worst… they show such unbridled mean and nasty behaviour that one does doubt the reality of Christianity at times. I don’t know who’s worse… the clergy claques or the pompous phonies such as Freddy M-G and Rod Dreher. Trust me… it does makes me think at times that religion is just a grand n’ glorious mind-fuck, then, we die, for good-and-all. It doesn’t last… but I’ll say that the best argument against Christianity… is so-called “Christians”. Do think on it…

BMD

New Evidence, New Trial, Ex-Archbishop’s Lawyer Argues

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The lawyer for a former archbishop found guilty of sexually assaulting an altar boy in the 1980s says Manitoba’s highest court should consider fresh evidence and overturn the verdict. A Manitoba court convicted Seraphim Storheim early this year of sexually assaulting a boy who had come to visit him in Winnipeg in 1985. Storheim’s lawyer, Jeff Gindin, presented three Appeal Court judges with photos and documents Friday that suggest the boy was in Winnipeg in 1986 and not 1985. Storheim’s handwriting on the pictures says a boy “not from here” is participating in a church ceremony in 1986. Gindin argued that the evidence casts doubt on the credibility of the victim and the Crown’s version of events. He told the judges, “I never suggested this evidence taken by itself was a smoking gun. It could’ve been used to cross-examine witnesses presented by the Crown in a different way”.

Justice Alan MacInnes questioned the veracity of the pictures, which don’t name the boy, saying, “This is an exceptional remedy you’re seeking. It’s that way for good reason. At some point in time, cases end”. MacInnes pointed up that Christopher Mainella, the trial judge who convicted Storheim and who now sits on the Appeal Court, didn’t believe Storheim’s testimony, noting, “The irony of this is the person who is accused wasn’t believed by the trial judge and now we’re being asked to believe his evidence. Your own client said it was 1985. On your argument, your client was wrong. Why should we be accepting the motion for fresh evidence?” While Storheim was convicted of sexually assaulting one boy, he was acquitted on the same charge involving the victim’s brother, who also visited on a separate occasion.

31 October 2014

CTV News

http://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/canada/new-evidence-new-trial-ex-archbishop-s-lawyer-argues-1.2080471

Gindin Claims that He has New Evidence in Storheim Appeal

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A lawyer for a former archbishop convicted of sexually assaulting an altar boy in the 1980s said that he has fresh evidence that could have exonerated his client during his trial. Jeff Gindin, who represents Seraphim Storheim, filed a notice of motion asking that the new evidence be heard when the case appears before Manitoba’s Court of Appeal on Friday. In court documents, Gindin says that the evidence relates to the victim’s visit with Storheim and Storheim’s relationship with one of the defence witnesses, Connie Kucharczyk, who helped Storheim entertain the boy during his stay. Gindin wrote in a motion filed on 17 October, “The aforementioned evidence could reasonably, when taken with other evidence adduced at the trial, be expected to have affected the outcome of the trial. The evidence wasn’t available by all due diligence at the time of the trial”. Gindin declined to comment further about the new evidence. The Crown also declined an interview.

Earlier this year, Storheim was convicted of sexually assaulting a boy who’d come to visit him in Winnipeg in 1985. The man testified that during that visit Storheim would routinely walk around naked and would sometimes lie naked on the floor and touch himself. The man testified that another time Storheim touched him and inspected his groin as he sat naked on a bed. Storheim testified he talked to the boy about puberty and inspected his pyjama bottoms at the request of the boy, but denied anything inappropriate took place. The 68-year-old was sentenced to eight months in jail but has been free on bail pending his appeal hearing. Justice Christopher Mainella, who presided over Storheim’s trial, now sits on the Court of Appeal.

In his original appeal notice filed in July, Gindin said he was appealing on numerous grounds, writing the conviction “is contrary to law, evidence and the weight of the evidence”. Mainella should’ve given greater credibility to Storheim’s evidence and shouldn’t have dismissed Kucharczyk’s evidence “due to bias” that didn’t exist, the defence lawyer suggested. He also challenged the eight-month sentence handed to Storheim. Gindin had argued for no jail time, because Storheim’s reputation had been ruined and he didn’t have a criminal record. Gindin wrote, “The sentence imposed was harsh and excessive having regard to the age, background and circumstances of the offence”. Storheim was a priest in the Orthodox Church in America, but he later rose to archbishop… the church’s highest-ranking cleric in Canada. He was placed on leave when he was arrested in 2010 and retired following his conviction.

30 October 2014

Chinta Puxley

The Canadian Press

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/lawyer-former-archbishop-wants-file-evidence-sex-assault-164800669.html