Rapid developments in the case of Father Antonio and the Ark of the World. According to what TheNewspaper.gr brings to light, yesterday Father Antoniou's side submitted a supplementary memorandum to the investigator for the offenses of indecency with minors, charges that have been attributed to him after two complaints about the structure's food.
But a new video and two new letters come to overturn the case of the Ark of the World.
According to the report, with video material and a written letter sent by one of the two complainants, he has lied about the incidents of molestation by Father Antonio, lured by a plan that had emerged to destroy the Structure.
In his handwritten letter, the 16-year-old inmate of the "Ark of the World" and one of the main accusers of the priest states:
"I'm writing this text because I want to tell the truth and I feel remorse for all the panic I've created and the harm I've created to Father Antonios and to the ark, Father has never bothered me and has treated me like my own father and I want to make a huge apology and somehow I want this to go into his hands for all this evil that I created without wanting it because I too like a fool listened and fell into his trap because he ordered me to take money and go to my mom and I'll do what I like again, I'm so sorry, Father Antonio."
"My child lied, never lay a hand on him"
At the same time, the mother of the 16-year-old inmate also sent a letter, who in her statements to the media targeted and directly accused Father Antonio as being responsible for her son's harassment.
"My name is E. K. I am the mother of B. who is hosting him in the Kivoto structure in Volos during a visit when I went to see him he confided in me that Father Antonios never reached out and all that about rape that I said was a lie that the children from the ark organized something and told me that in this way I will go back to my mother that I really want it and why she told me about a name for some c***** and I am obliged to mention all this because I don't want innocent people to pay it" (Seal and certificate of KEP Larisa dated 17.10.2023).
"They kicked me out of the Ark because I didn't testify what they wanted"
Also important is the handwritten note (dated 26.10.2023) of S. G. which, among other things, states that she was approached by the main complainant, as well as officials of the new administration to falsely denounce the priest and head of the "Ark of the World" and because of her refusal she was expelled. A girl who declares that she is afraid, but does not hesitate to tell her truth.
More specifically, it states verbatim:
"I am S. C., today is 26/10/2023 and I want to testify my truth in relation to the events of the Ark. I am 19 years old, I was in the Piraeus hospitality house with prosecutorial intervention in 2014. I grew up with love, security and affection. More specifically, I received care and unlimited love from Father and the elder. I went to a Greek and English tutoring school and attended a private school. We children participated in humanitarian activities and received advice on life. When I came of age I received support as the old administration covered my first expenses, rented me a house in Kypseli and provided me with furniture and food. At the same time, I also received psychological support with all expenses covered by the old administration. When this whole situation broke out, she herself posted a text about the perjury and it was sent and later made public by the mass media. I was going through a difficult time with my finances so I chose to work with the new management because I needed immediate help. The terms of cooperation were as follows: to distance myself from the old administration and show the rest that I support the views of the children who testified against the father. The pressure of the new administration continued and became more intense over time. A form of civil war prevailed in the Ark building and there were incidents of violence, as for example with N. T. and the incident was brought to the authorities since violence is not a solution in any case. Mr. G.*. he had made an appointment with a lawyer for me to testify and when I refused he announced the end date of the cooperation. The consequences were to leave the shelter provided to me and not receive any financial or material assistance. The children who testified against the father, specifically, K., A. and P., begged me to testify against and to be careful what I say so as not to "burn" them. The 19-year-old himself had come to the Constitution to talk to me and was getting confused and constantly changing the details of his incidents of negligence, that's when I realized he was lying and I stopped all contact and communication with him. I had received several threats that made me cower and not tell my truth. Therefore, for safety reasons, I moved to Ilion with the help of Life Evolution. When I realized that they were also pressuring me with the case since she is working as a witness against the father, T.*., I fought and they terminated my cooperation and thus I lost both my tuition and my job. I want to emphasize that Life Evolution cooperates with the new administration and apparently had the same purpose of testifying against the old administration through psychological pressure. They wanted me to testify about incidents of violence in Piraeus and as far as it was permissible for me based on chronology to claim that I was in front of incidents that C* narrates and to help him in his testimony. I have some communications with the minor children of Piraeus and I learn from authoritative sources that they have sexual contacts with adults and smoke with the knowledge of their educators. It happened, in particular, that I succeeded by going to my former job, M.*. (minor) without money, ticket and chaperone to go by commuter train to Kiato to her brother, totally confused by all this I want to highlight the attitude of the new management neglecting the children for the sole purpose of profit and in my turn to share the truth because the old management and the Father are innocent and they really love us and only want our good.
"Father Antonios never took advantage of me even though he was aware of my sexuality"
Another important handwritten note for this particular case is that of G.S. dated October 3, 2023. Of a child who also knows a lot and who himself declares his sexuality. In his said four-page handwritten note, he states the following in his own direct and categorical manner:
"My name is G.S., I'm 20 years old and I've been in the Ark of the World since I was 10 years old. My life had changed a lot from the moment I entered the Ark by the people who helped me stand firmly on my feet and fix my life. Kivotos for me is a home that offered me love, care, education and above all to set goals in my life for a better future. Personally, I had a great time in the Ark. I was given the opportunity to do things that I would never have done at home. He took me on trips, paid for extracurricular activities, bought me new clothes and shoes that unfortunately my family couldn't afford. We did music, dance, theater and many other activities. Every summer we went on vacation with the other kids. We used to meet all the branches and get to know each other and make friends.
I know very personally some specific complainants against Father Antonio and I want to say my opinion about them. Those who denounced the father are P.G. who generally told a lot of lies which was easy and wanted to look good but behind the scenes he was the worst. He has lied so much about Pater when he has helped him so much and his return was to say that Pater abused him, abused him and had him as his servant. This is a very big lie because I myself was present at the events he mentions well. What I mean. Regarding the indecency, he had said that when we were going for a swim in the summer of 2021, when I was with my father and the other children on a day trip to Salamis and a little earlier to Epirus and Chios, that she touched him in the sea in inappropriate places and his she was taking off her swimsuit. I never saw anything inappropriate, the father never walked away with a child. The procedure was to be all around him at some distance and have the children play with each other and swim. We were always in the sea quite a few children and educators.
Basically if the father wanted to molest a child it would be easier for him to do it on me knowing my sexuality and he would feel more comfortable. But he never did anything like that and he would never do anything like it. His lie can also be seen from the fact that after all that G. had said, he was trying to lure other children from the other annexes. More specifically, I know that since the summer he had the freedom from some workers who still work at Kivoto, to sneak in and out of the structures of Volos and Chios and I know this because he himself told me this in November 2022 in Athens. He also told me that he convinced B. to lie by telling him that he would see to it that he returned to his mother.
Also, I never saw any child serving the father. Whatever he needed, his wife, the elder, or his associates were there.
Knowing AM, I know that he was very good friends with G. and that he would tell him any lie he told him to tell. He was very avaricious and lazy and to earn some money without effort he would have no moral inhibitions.
I knew B. from our common coexistence in the structure of Pogoniani in the past. He was generally quiet and cooperative but had a very strong desire to return to his mother whom he loved dearly. We all knew that.
Regarding physical violence, I have never seen a teacher or person in charge bully, threaten or hit a child. We discussed all the issues that existed with love and a lot of conversation. In the incident with E… I was in the structure at the time and I know E…. like a very difficult girl with many psychological issues. He would not hesitate to vilify and try to frame any teacher because he hated them. So are other kids. Coming to the Ark and having learned to live without rules and boundaries, it is very difficult for them to change and learn to live with respect towards those around them.
They blame the Ark for not having their natural family and are unable to cope with this loss. Many times I have heard from children who advise us to pretend that they have been physically abused. I have seen cases where educators talk to children, trying to calm them down and they falsely claim that they hit them, when there were so many children in front of us. Especially A. K. did it very often when they tried to limit him with a conversation in the cases where he stole something from a child at school or from a shop in the village.
Regarding the alleged labors, we never did any forced labor. As in all families we were obliged to take care of and arrange our personal space. Many children from the big ones liked and desired primary sector. Cheesemaking, beekeeping, agriculture. These children were trained 3 times a week for one hour with specialized teachers for each skill to learn and decide when they become adults if they will follow one of these professions. In general, our daily time consisted of reading for school, playing and extracurricular activities.
I would like to say that Kivotos sent me to one of the best schools in the region, the Dodonaia Education School, with a scholarship and I studied from the XNUMXnd high school to the XNUMXrd high school. Then after I had finished high school of my own accord I chose to deal more with something artistic and so I chose hairdressing. I studied at a private I.E.K that was also from Kivoto with a scholarship.
In closing, my opinion is unequivocal about these people, the complainants, and it is not going to change at all. Because I am not C. who, to say all this, financed him or had paid him a luxury hotel to stay. I am a man who knows exactly what has happened because I was in front of all of this and I am a man of ethics, seriousness and knows what is right and just for this Innocent man. Father Antonios is one of the most important people in my life because he saved me. This is the Ark of the World."
Source: in.gr