Ark of the World: This is the new seven-member Board of Directors – The list of names

There have been rapid developments in the «Ark of the World» case, as after the complaints for abuse, as new people are placed in administration of the structure.

In a statement Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs it is reported that Government after a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister at Maximos Mansion proceeds to replace Board of Directors of the Ark of the World «with the sole aim of serving the best interests of the most vulnerable children who have been removed from their families and are living in the facility.».

The new Board of Directors consists of:

1. Alexandra Martinos, economist, President of the Association «TOGETHER FOR CHILDREN,» as Chairman of the Board of Directors
2. Ioannis Spyridon Tentes, former Prosecutor of the Supreme Court,
3. Ioannis Papadatos, Pediatrician, former Director of the Intensive Care Unit at P. & A. Kyriakou Children's Hospital,
4. George Protopapas, General Director of SOS Children's Villages,
5. Errika Oikonomou, psychologist, Secretary of «Friends of the Virgin Mary,»,
6. Andreas Zompanakis, economist, President of the Center for Special Individuals «Chara,»,
7. Konstantinos Gloumis-Atsalakis, lawyer, director of the Ministerial Office of the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.

For this change, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Ms. Domna Michailidou, implements the arrangement which she herself proposed and which was passed in April 2022 (Article 67 of Law 4921/2022).

This provision allows for temporary change of management to private welfare organizations in the event of a significant deterioration in their proper functioning. «We are implementing a provision for emergency changes in the administration of social structures that was passed a few months ago, despite opposition from many quarters. A provision that was contested, but without considering the political cost, we stuck to it.. Now we are morally obliged to implement it. It is a provision that is used in exceptional cases, but unfortunately we are facing such cases and we must act to protect children,» said the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.

«The allegations of abusive behavior are very serious, and until the investigation is complete, we must ensure that the structure continues to function properly and that we all maintain our trust in it.. Because the structure is its children, its employees, all of us (volunteers, donors, sponsors) who have supported and must continue to support the children. For this reason, individuals of high standing, with expertise and many years of experience in child protection, were selected for the new Board of Directors,» he added.

Η change of management is temporary and lasts for one year. The new Board of Directors is called upon to ensure the smooth operation of the organization and to carry out administrative and financial audits.. «The new members of the Board are taking on a difficult and demanding task at this time. We thank them for this. Ms. Alexandra Martino, as Chair, and all the other members have proven throughout their careers that they have the experience and expertise to succeed. As a Ministry and as a society, we must support them for the children of Kivotos, for all of us,» said Ms. Domna Michaelides.

At noon, the announcement of the new Board of Directors

The Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs stated in an interview with MEGA that tThe composition of the foundation's new board of directors will be announced on Tuesday afternoon. 

«We worked on it all night, we know the names, we are missing a few names to complete the list, the announcements will be made at noon,» noted Domna Michailidou.

The Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs stressed that «This situation must change; a new administration must be put in place that has knowledge and expertise in child protection and also know that they will be transparent and effective people.».

Regarding checks on structures, he said that «The framework has changed, and we changed it precisely to introduce rules. We set the specifications for conducting inspections at the end of May 2022.

When asked if there is adoption circuit around the Ark of the World or if they have been identified financial irregularities He noted that he is not in a position to know and that «The balance sheets show a surplus. Last year, there appears to have been a surplus of half a million. This is encouraging for us.».

The Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs emphasized that people have started speaking out and that complaints about other institutions are likely to surface.

Deposits begin

Starting today deposits about the case abuse and harassment minors who have been accommodated in its facilities «Ark of the World» and which has shocked the whole of Greece. The two prosecutors who took on the case according to OPEN aim to close the case within 15 days.

Who will testify

First witnesses that will deposit They will be children and former employees, while two other witnesses have voluntarily stated their intention to come forward and testify. Among those who will testify is a witness who resides in Netherlands and has stated that he wants to submit serious evidence to the prosecutor's office regarding the case. With the evidence currently available to the Juvenile Prosecutor's Office, it appears that four individuals are under investigation including Father Antonios and three NGO employees.

The offenses which, at this point, appear to emerge from the seven statements contained in the file and are being investigated by the prosecutor's office to determine whether they have been committed, concern felony the abuse of a minor for sexual purposes and for the offense of bodily harm against vulnerable persons. 

In case file are included and studied at least 10 complaints which were forwarded by the Ombudsman to the Public Prosecutor's Office by email. The majority of the Ombudsman's complaints and reports concern abuse, corporal punishment, forced labor, isolation, and children being kept away from school.

According to reports, the emails in question They arrived at the prosecutor's office one after the other, but these reports did not include any direct references to sexual abuse. There was a report from another person staying at the facility who referred to acts that he claimed to have witnessed against another resident. A direct report by a victim who complained of sexual abuse was made a few days ago, specifically on November 16, when a former guest of Kivotos, who was referred to as a boy by the Ombudsman, reported specific incidents.

Intention The prosecutor's goal is to encourage those who want to deposit for any incident that may be actionable, and in the event that evidence emerges of acts relating to sexual abuse, such as harassment or molestation, the prosecutor's office will carefully examine the circumstances and decide whether they will receive a criminal conviction. The Public Prosecutor's Office does not rule out requesting that any case files that may have been compiled in other cities in Greece where Kivotos structures exist be forwarded to it, so that they can be combined with the case file it is handling. the two Juvenile Prosecutors.