Testimony from brothers about accused archbishop ‘unreliable:’ defence lawyer

WINNIPEG – A Winnipeg lawyer defending an Orthodox archbishop against sex assault allegations from almost 30 years ago says there is not enough evidence to convict.

Seraphim Storheim is accused of sexually assaulting two pre-teen brothers when they visited him in Winnipeg in 1985.

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

In his closing arguments, defence lawyer Jeff Gindin told the judge the brothers’ testimony is — quote — “unreliable, inconsistent and illogical.”

Gindin says one of the brothers may have accidentally seen Storheim naked but no sexual assault occurred.

Storheim became the Orthodox Church in America’s top cleric in Canada in 2007 and is currently on leave.

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