The founder of “Kivotos tou Kosmou,” Father Antonios, was unanimously found guilty by the Athens Three-Member Misdemeanor Court on five out of 19 misdemeanor charges related to physical abuse. The court also convicted four of his former employees for similar offenses and acquitted three others.
Father Antonios was sentenced to 4 years and 3 months in prison, while the former employees received sentences ranging from 17 to 40 months. For Father Antonios and one employee, the sentence was converted to a fine of €10 per day, while the others received a three-year suspension.
The court accepted the allegations from residents, who reported exhausting labor, prolonged isolation, and beatings, and acknowledged Father Antonios’s role as the moral instigator of these actions.
Father Antonios is also facing charges and is expected to stand trial for felonies, including money laundering.
The court’s guilty verdict for Father Antonios aligns with the prosecutor’s recommendation, which cited evidence indicating he was aware of his employees’ actions: “He was the founder of Kivotos, the spiritual leader. The operational model was his own creation. Despite his claim of having only a spiritual role, it is clear that he held an active and dominant role.”
Father Antonios and Presvytera S. Georganti also face charges and are expected to stand trial for three felonies: breach of trust (related to unjustified expenses), embezzlement, and money laundering.
What is fyi.news?
