Father Antonios Papanikolaou and his two co-defendants were unanimously acquitted by the Three-Judge Misdemeanor Court of Ioannina, in the case involving allegations of abuse against children housed at the “Ark of the World” facilities in Pogoniani and Konitsa.
The court’s decision was handed down after ten hearings and concerned charges of bodily harm, unlawful detention, unlawful use of force, and threats. The court acquitted the organization’s founder, as well as his two co-defendants—who were linked to the operation of the facilities—of all charges considered in this trial.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Visibly moved after the verdict was announced, Father Antonios expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the trial, attributing his acquittal to the work that, as he noted, “Ark of the World” had carried out over the years.
“The court found me not guilty,” he stated, adding that the recognition of the contributions made by the people who worked for and supported the organization’s programs is of particular importance to him. At the same time, he referred to the support he claimed to have received from citizens during the period when the case was in the public spotlight. The defendants’ attorneys spoke of vindication for their clients, noting that the decision was issued after the court had examined the evidence in the case.
The acquittal in Ioannina pertains exclusively to the charges examined in this specific trial and the incidents attributed to the defendants at the facilities in Pogoniani and Konitsa.
At the same time, other legal proceedings related to “Ark of the World” remain separate and are being examined independently by the courts.
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Source: KYPE
