Greek PM calls meeting amid sexual abuse claims at children’s charity

·

Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will lead a meeting at his office on Monday morning amid revelations of sexual abuse at well-known children’s charity Ark of the World (Kivotos tou Kosmou).

According to Ekathimerini, Greek Deputy Labor Minister Domna Michailidou and a ministry official will take part at the meeting; it is not known whether other officials will attend.

The meeting will specifically deal with ensuring the protection of the children living at Ark of the World for the duration of the judicial investigation into allegations of bodily and sexual abuse.

Police and prosecution authorities have so far received testimonies of at least three allegations of sexual abuse and four of beatings by a prominent member of Ark of the World.

The charity issued a statement on Thursday saying it had no knowledge of allegations of child sexual abuse at one of its facilities but would assist in the investigation of them.

“We unequivocally condemn such incidents and assure that the Ark of the World and its social services will assist the authorities in investigating the claims,” it said. 

In response, Greece’s Minister of Finance Christos Staikouras said all state aid to the children’s charity would be withdrawn until a judiciary decision was reached.

“We want to help the children but we want to know where these funds go,” Staikouras said.

Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens, the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church, also confirmed on Sunday that he had launched an investigation on Father Antonios Papanikolaou, the priest who founded Ark of the World.

Hieronymos said that the Church has banned Father Antonios from his priestly duties while the investigation is ongoing, adding that the Church has no connection to the charity. 

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Melbourne woman convicted of murdering Kon Kritikos maintains innocence

Danielle Lee Birchell, convicted of murdering her father-in-law, continues to assert her innocence, a hearing was told.

Athens and Airbnb launch emergency housing program for earthquake victims

Athens and Airbnb.org have launched an emergency accommodation program to assist residents of Cycladic islands impacted by earthquakes.

Acclaimed Greek film ‘Stelios’ to have Australian premiere in April

The Greek Festival of Sydney has announced the Australian premiere of the highly anticipated Greek film 'Stelios' on April 23, 2025.

Oakleigh Grammar inducts its 2025 student leaders

Oakleigh Grammar in Melbourne has inducted its 2025 School leaders from the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools.

SA Full Court ends dispute over teacher Dimosthenis Kourlas’ registration denial

The Supreme Court of South Australia’s Full Court has ruled on a dispute involving teaching graduate Dimosthenis Dillon Kourlas.

You May Also Like

Greek and Egyptian Foreign Ministers reaffirm bilateral relations

Greece's Foreign Minister, Georgios Gerapetritis met with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry in Athens on Monday.

Sheikha Mahra: The Dubai princess with Spartan heritage making headlines

Sheikha Mahra, a Dubai princess known for her Spartan heritage, has made headlines with her recent divorce from billionaire Sheikh Mana.

Greek Consul General in Sydney meets with youth from Diaspora Symposium

The Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis, recently met with participants from the 1st Greek Youth Diaspora Symposium.