Trial of OCA Archbishop Began Today in Winnipeg

[MJS]

Trial of OCA Archbishop Began Today in Winnipeg

The first set of articles about Archbishop Seraphim Storheim's trial
is now available on Pokrov.org

http://pokrov.org/

Melanie Jula Sakoda

[nickk - not the imposter]

A he said, they said type of trial. Two men (brothers) saying that this bishop touched them improperly 30 years ago. Interestingly enough, this bishop has had no other accusers over the years. Looking for a $$$ settlement???

[leushino]

On Tuesday, June 11, 2013 5:47:13 AM UTC-7, nickk - not the imposter wrote:
> A he said, they said type of trial. Two men (brothers) saying that this bishop touched them improperly 30 years ago. Interestingly enough, this bishop has had no other accusers over the years. Looking for a $$$ settlement???

I know people that have had the bishop stay with them overnight at their home a number of times. They have nothing but good things to say about him. I have to agree with Nick. It appears on the surface that this is about money.

[MJS]

I would remind you again, This is a criminal trial, not a civil suit for damages.

Melanie Jula Sakoda

[nickk - not the imposter]

Yes Melanie, but the way to stop the trial is to receive a payment and then for the accusers to claim "imagined memories" or some type of mental issues.

[Catherine Jefferson]

On 6/11/2013 8:58 AM, nickk - not the imposter wrote:
> Yes Melanie, but the way to stop the trial is to receive a payment and then for the accusers to claim "imagined memories" or some type of mental issues.

That *might* stop the trial at this point, if the prosecutors were
convinced that they could not prove their case. But to have a trial in
the first place, the prosecutors had to be convinced not only that the
brothers were telling the truth, but that they had a compelling enough
case that there was at least some chance of convincing the jury that His
Eminence is guilty.

I'm not convinced that His Eminence is guilty. The lack of other
accusers is a bit odd for a child sexual abuse case. On the other hand,
even nowadays accusers of sexual abuse hesitate to come forth in a
number of religious communities.

I'm waiting to hear the testimony of the accusers. Let's see what they
say, and what happens.


Under His mercy,


--
Catherine Jefferson <tw8...@ergosphere.net>
Blog/Personal: http://www.ergosphere.net

[nickk - not the imposter]

There is no doubt that a full trial will settle the issue one way or another. It's still a "he said, they said" type of trial. When + Seraphim is exonerated, "Where does one go to get their reputation back?"

[++]

On Tuesday, June 11, 2013 2:08:48 PM UTC-4, Catherine Jefferson wrote:
> On 6/11/2013 8:58 AM, nickk - not the imposter wrote:
>
> > Yes Melanie, but the way to stop the trial is to receive a payment and then for the accusers to claim "imagined memories" or some type of mental issues.
>
>
>
> That *might* stop the trial at this point, if the prosecutors were
>
> convinced that they could not prove their case. But to have a trial in
>
> the first place, the prosecutors had to be convinced not only that the
>
> brothers were telling the truth, but that they had a compelling enough
>
> case that there was at least some chance of convincing the jury that His
>
> Eminence is guilty.
>
>
>
> I'm not convinced that His Eminence is guilty. The lack of other
>
> accusers is a bit odd for a child sexual abuse case. On the other hand,
>
> even nowadays accusers of sexual abuse hesitate to come forth in a
>
> number of religious communities.

The trial has not yet been held. No one should consider him guilty before the fact.


Also consider that a number of people in his diocese kept up a kind of BP Seraphim is not guilty website.

However, to get to this point, there had to be enough evidence to bring him to trail. He'll have his day. Meanwhile, the OCA has done the prudent thing by keeping him temporarily out of office, so to speak and I think someone said he has been paid a salary all along.

The Church has done the right thing, this time.

> I'm waiting to hear the testimony of the accusers. Let's see what they
>
> say, and what happens.

indeedy

[MJS]

On Jun 11, 8:58 am, nickk - not the imposter <nickkc...@gmail.com>
wrote:

"Yes Melanie, but the way to stop the trial is to receive a payment
and then for the accusers to claim "imagined memories" or some type of
mental issues."

You're wrong. The complainants in a criminal trial do not have the
same control that plaintiffs in a civil suit do. The prosecutors made
the decision to go to trial, and only they can make the decision to
stop the trial.

Melanie Jula Sakoda

[nickk - not the imposter]

The Prosecutors were going on the "HIGH" that the RC Church set as a precedent. Look at the evidence so far, these men are on "psychiatric drugs." I'm sure with the proper defense lawyers, they will find abuse in their home growing up and their MOTHER controlling their thoughts and memories!!!

[Catherine Jefferson]

Actually, if he's exonerated, then he never lost his reputation with
anybody who didn't rush to judgement, and should have it back with
anybody who paid attention to the trial. As for those who rushed to
judgement and then didn't hang around to see what happened.... <sigh>

[MJS]

On Jun 11, 4:43 pm, nickk - not the imposter <nickkc...@gmail.com>
wrote:

Again, you speak in error. Only one of the brothers is on psychotropic
medicine.

Moreover, mental health problems are strongly associated with
childhood sexual abuse.

Here's the thoughts of one OCA priest on the case:

http://frted.wordpress.com/2013/06/11/archbishop-seraphims-trial-begins/

Archpriest Theodore Bobosh served on the OCA's Sexual Misconduct
Policy Advisory Committee.

Melanie Jula Sakoda

[MJS]

On Jun 11, 2:17 pm, nickk - not the imposter <nickkc...@gmail.com>
wrote:

"There is no doubt that a full trial will settle the issue one way or
another. It's still a 'he said, they said' type of trial. When +
Seraphim is exonerated, 'Where does one go to get their reputation

back?'"

On the other hand, if Archbishop Seraphim Storheim is convicted, where
do these two men go to get back the childhood that they lost?

Melanie Jula Sakoda

[leushino]

And in your mind, they're always guilty. The minute someone claims sexual abuse at any cleric's hands, he's guilty as far as you're concerned.

[nickk - not the imposter]

Melanie:

I will bet that these two brothers come from a HOME where abuse took place. Either by the mother, father or both. In trials like this it will be hard to determine the real truth. I suggest a private, independent firm be employed to do "MIND PROBING." This would do well for Storheim. First, 2-3 different lie detector sessions. Follow this by sessions with chemical induced truth serums. And finally, a session or two of hypnosis. All to be recorded for the court. However, I know a way to find the truth rather quickly and easily. If I were contracted, in one afternoon, the truth would be revealed.

[++]

On Tuesday, June 11, 2013 11:36:26 PM UTC-4, MJS wrote:
> On Jun 11, 4:43 pm, nickk - not the imposter <nickkc...@gmail.com>
>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> "The Prosecutors were going on the "HIGH" that the RC Church set as a
>
> precedent. Look at the evidence so far, these men are on "psychiatric
>
> drugs." I'm sure with the proper defense lawyers, they will find abuse
>
> in their home growing up and their MOTHER controlling their thoughts
>
> and memories!!!"
>
>
>
> Again, you speak in error. Only one of the brothers is on psychotropic
>
> medicine.
>
>
>
> Moreover, mental health problems are strongly associated with
>
> childhood sexual abuse.
>
>
>
> Here's the thoughts of one OCA priest on the case:
>

>
> http://frted.wordpress.com/2013/06/11/archbishop-seraphims-trial-begins/

Here is another priest, who neglected doing anything about Seraphim's actions so many years ago:

> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Priest-kept-silent-about-accusations-against-Storheim-court-hears-211245681.html

[MJS]

On Jun 12, 6:58 am, nickk - not the imposter <nickkc...@gmail.com>
wrote:

I am most thankful these allegations are in the hands of the court in
Winnipeg.

Melanie Jula Sakoda

[MJS]

On Jun 12, 12:05 pm, "++" <galja...@gmail.com> wrote:

"Here is another priest, who neglected doing anything about Seraphim's
actions so many years ago:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Priest-kept-silent-abou..."

Yes, it's regretful that Father Steven Kostoff did not report to the
professionals in law enforcement years ago, or at least urge the
mother of the two men (then boys) to do so. However, I prefer to focus
on the positive. I can only pray that others who witnessed or
suspected sexual abuse by OCA clergy would also come forward and
report to the police. For the protection of children, it's always
better late than never.

Melanie

[++]

I agree, and I even wonder if his change of heart in contacting the two men concerned decades later led to them having the courage to go to trial. The dates of Father Steven Kostoff contacting them and the inquiries which led to the indictment of Archbishop Seraphim / Kenneth Storheim, would seem to indicate some connection between the two. Also, he had the courage to speak out at the trial. Better late than never,however, always covers up the evils caused by periods of silence, even if the evil is false witness, misunderstanding, rumour or innuendo.

But I am beyond sick at hearing sermons on forgiveness, turning the other cheek,calling brothers even those that hate us and keeping silence over matters that hurt our Church.

Sunlight kills mold and stops it from growing


> Melanie

[Catherine Jefferson]

On 6/15/2013 9:47 AM, ++ wrote:
> But I am beyond sick at hearing sermons on forgiveness, turning the other cheek,calling brothers even those that hate us and keeping silence over matters that hurt our Church.
>
> Sunlight kills mold and stops it from growing

+100

[nickk - not the imposter]

I will go on record stating that I do not believe the accusations. All parties need to undergo lie detectors, sodium pentathol and hypnosis. Find the real truth here!

[Catherine Jefferson]

Unfortunately none of the three techniques you mention is particularly
reliable. :/ Lie detectors can often detect when somebody is trying to
hide something, but they only work on people whose mental and emotional
reactions are relatively normal. Somebody who lacks the capacity to
feel guilt or a conscience (such as a psychopath or sociopath), or
somebody whose memory or ability to recognize reality is impaired (such
as a PTSD victim or a schizophrenic), isn't usefully testable by this
method.

Even relatively normal people often test as lying or guilty when they're
innocent. The real use of lie detectors is as a rough classifier that
sorts between people who can be reliably deemed innocent of any
knowledge or guilt about the matter whatsoever, and everybody else. The
problem with using it is that most people don't understand what a lie
detector is and its limitations, and assume that somebody who fails a
lie detector test is necessarily guilty.

I'll let you look up the medical literature on sodium pentothal.
Suffice it to say that it is sometimes helpful to question a cooperative
person, but is not reliable when questioning somebody who does not
cooperate.

Hypnosis is even less reliable as a tool for getting at the truth
because it places the subject in a state where the interrogator can
(often unwittingly) convince the patient that something is true when it
isn't. Do you remember the scandal associated with a number of child
sexual abuse cases where "recovered memories" were later proved to be
false by hard, objective evidence? For example, the McMartin preschool
case?

I've undergone hypnosis myself. It is an extremely effective tool for
pain management, but it works by teaching one part of your mind to
ignore or not notice input from another part of your mind. To this day
I have double memories of the surgery that saved my eyesight. I
remember the whole process, know in my mind that it was quite painful,
but either did not feel or did not notice the pain at the time or have
completely forgotten having done so. While I think that this was a good
thing and a proper use of the technique, it also altered my memories and
emotions through something that was effectively a lie.

I would be *extremely* hesitant to trust hypnotically retrieved
memories. It is simply too easy for the hypnotherapist's beliefs to
become the patient's memories, even when they both mean to get at the truth.

If there were a medical or other technique that reliably got at the
truth in this sort of situation, I'd be entirely in favor of using it.
(OK, assuming it did not do other irretrievable harm.) As best I know,
there isn't. So we're stuck with the fact that there are sometimes
cases when a third party cannot know the truth of a matter beyond a
reasonable doubt.

I hope that this trial will end with a conclusive finding of "guilty
beyond a reasonable doubt" or "these charges are clearly and
convincingly false", not something in-between. Any other finding leaves
both parties in limbo, a terrible outcome.

[James]

On 6/15/2013 2:03 PM, Catherine Jefferson wrote:
> On 6/15/2013 11:48 AM, nickk - not the imposter wrote:
>> I will go on record stating that I do not believe the accusations.
>> All parties need to undergo lie detectors, sodium pentathol and
>> hypnosis. Find the real truth here!
>
> Unfortunately none of the three techniques you mention is particularly
> reliable. :/

I'm with Nick. Furthermore, in this country the accused is innocent
until proven guilty. I always have this sense that when these trials
come up they are posted here almost gleefully. Post them AFTER the
accused has been found guilty. Why the need to post something
beforehand? The problem is... once someone is accused, he remains
guilty in the minds of many people EVEN IF he is found innocent.
Of course... that's too bad in the minds of those who posted those
accusations beforehand. Then again, they don't have to live with the
aftermath; they're on to the next accusation... the next victim.


--
James

[Steve Hayes]

Archbishop�s sex trial off until September
By Staff, The Canadian Press

WINNIPEG � The sexual assault trial of an Orthodox archbishop in Winnipeg will
not resume until September.

The Crown closed its case Wenesday against Seraphim Storheim and the defence
has said it expects to call witnesses when the trial resumes on Sept. 12.

There is no word on whether Storheim himself will testify about accusations he
sexually abused two altar boys in the summer of 1985.

The complainants, now men in their 30s, testified Storheim walked around naked
and asked to be touched sexually.

One man told court he was made to sit naked on a bed while Storheim inspected
his groin.

Storheim was a parish priest in the Orthodox Church in America and later rose
to archbishop � the church�s top position in Canada.

The church is separate from other Orthodox religions such as the Greek
Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

http://globalnews.ca/news/654464/archbishops-sex-trial-off-until-september/