PM wades into allegations of abuse at children’s charity

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

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 allegation of bodily and sexual abuse. There are three allegations of sexual abuse and four of beatings.

Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens, the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church, said Sunday that he had launched an investigation Saturday on Father Antonios Papanikolaou, the priest who founded Ark of the World and who is also accused of sexual abuse of minors.

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

“The Church and I, personally, will serve the earthly ecclesiastical justice to the highest degree,” said Ieronymos.