Georgian Orthodox clergyman accused of sexual harassment by five women

Georgian clergyman accused of harassment

Five women have accused Metropolitan Nikoloz Pachuashvili, a high-ranking clergyman of the Georgian Orthodox Church, of sexual harassment.

“Radio Liberty” publishes the material of journalist Nastasya Arabuli, where one woman openly and four anonymously tell how they at different times became victims of sexual harassment by the Metropolitan.

The woman who openly stated that she was victimized by was 33-year-old Lela Kurtanidze. She says that it took her more than ten years to have the courage to speak out. The Metropolitan himself regards the woman’s story as a slander aimed at damaging his reputation.

In addition to Lela, the Radio Liberty journalist spoke to other women, some of whom speak of harassment, some of sexual violence. One of them claims that she was a minor when she was abused. Another’s case took place in Germany. Another two women, like Lela, met Nikoloz Pachuashvili during an expedition to Javakheti when they were students.

Except for Lela, all tell their stories on condition of anonymity, so their names have been changed in the article. Also, in some cases, the monasteries, dates, and professions of the women are not mentioned, so as not to indirectly reveal their identities.

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All the women are united by the fact that at different times they were participants of the Tbilisi State University expedition to Javakheti. The Javakheti expedition is a student summer camp whose participants spend two weeks helping churches and monasteries in the Akhalkalaki diocese. Nikoloz is the Metropolitan of this diocese.

According to Lela Kurtanidze’s story, during the expedition to Javakheti she did not know how to swim and the Metropolitan offered to teach her.

“When he stuck his hands in uncomfortable places, I was shaken, I tried to break free and fell into the water. At that moment he asked me: “What are you doing? Why are you messing this up?” He asked me as if I was doing something inappropriate. Sometimes I pulled away, sometimes I tried to get free, but I was obedient. The first day he kissed me – not on the lips, but in a way that there was something too intimate about it.”

Georgian clergyman accused of harassment

Another says that after the end of the expedition, the Metropolitan summoned her to talk about “plans for the future.”

“He took me to the bedroom and asked me to sit on the bed. I was very surprised, but it didn’t even occur to me that something bad could happen there. He asked me questions about my sex life and experiences.

He touched my body. But these were not casual touches. I sat dumbfounded and couldn’t figure out what to do – out of shock. The thoughts in my head were spinning at breakneck speed, I couldn’t even allow that the man who had listened to Bach with us the day before and talked about sublime love and the “Matthew Passion” [could do something immoral. I just couldn’t believe it or didn’t want to believe it.

When he left, he told me that everything that happened was great and exciting, that I was special, I was a carrier of dormant energy, I had a beautiful body and breasts, strong and beautiful legs and that we should keep our meetings a secret,” the woman told a Radio Liberty reporter.

The article tells the stories of three other women.

As for the Metropolitan, during the meeting with the journalist he did not deny that he taught Lela Kurtanidze to swim in Lake Paravani, although he claims that there was no sexual harassment.

“How can you teach swimming without touching the body,” he told the journalist.

“You are getting involved in a bad case. There seems to be another wave against the church, but the church is like a centuries-old oak tree that a gnat can’t hurt. As Terentius Graneli said, ‘Now maybe the gossips will stick dirt on me,'” the Metropolitan said.

This is the first time that several women have publicly accused a high-ranking member of the Georgian Orthodox Church of sexual harassment.

The Orthodox Church of Georgia has for many years been the most authoritative and influential organization in that country according to public opinion research.

Nikoloz Pachuashvili, 62, is the highest-ranking bishop – only the Catholicos-Patriarch is higher in rank.

Leaked notes from Georgia’s security service, which largely describe details of surveillance of the private lives of clerics, said of Nikoloz Pachuashvili in 2021:

“The metropolitan is characterized as an educated, erudite and flexible person… His negative side is considered to be his attitude towards the female gender. He is known to maintain intimate relations with young women and nuns on pilgrimage in the diocese.”