Message from Dianne Storheim

“The Important Thing is to Glorify God”

This is what my brother, Archbishop Seraphim, said when I asked how he would be with a negative verdict the day before he was convicted. It was so typical of him – to not say anything evil against another or to judge too quickly another.

It is rather ironic that our brother was even accused of “sexual assault” because both his sisters (me and our youngest sister the “baby” of the family) were sexually assaulted when we were children by a neighbor. All our lives we were vigilant to watch out for sexual predators around my sister’s children as they grew up (she had 5) and my brother’s daughter. We were very aware of the signs and even if it had been our brother we would have turned him in. Thus we were especially shocked when all this came up. It made no sense whatsoever.

It is sad that he was accused of something like this because not only would he not do such things – he would not, being the person he is, even think of doing such things. And that is the sad thing about our justice system – you can’t use character witnesses to support the case. What can be used is the accusation and testimony of a certified schizophrenic and his twin brother. Go figure. And because one of them is a “businessman” he would have no reason to lie? Seriously?

We shall continue to support him as we know he was wrongfully accused, charged, and convicted. No doubt in our minds and in any of those who really know him.

We believe the judge must have shad a verdict in mind before the trial even began. Why else would he discredit very clear testimony that this could not have happened as described by the accusers? And if clear testimony weren’t enough for some reasonable doubt how about the fact that pedophiles never strike once?

But the fight goes on and we shall try to take his advice – to glorify God. We are deeply hurt and heart broken but not defeated by any means.