Father Antonios, founder of the charity organization Ark of the World, was unanimously found guilty by the Athens Court of Appeals for a series of abusive and punitive actions against children in his care.
The criminal court handed him a combined prison sentence of 9 years and 6 months, effectively reduced to 8 years after merging the sentences. The court also converted the sentence to a daily fine of €10, meaning he could remain free by paying approximately €60,000.
The appeal court was stricter than the initial trial, convicting Father Antonios for 9 of the 19 alleged offenses, compared to just 5 in the first instance. The charges included six counts of serious bodily harm to minors, as well as incitement to bodily harm, minor bodily harm, and threats.
In addition to Father Antonios, four of his six collaborators were also found guilty. Those convicted include a former board member, the former head of educators in Volos, and the former director of the Volos facility. Two other collaborators were acquitted of all charges.
