Revelations about the Ark of the World are expected to be stormy in the coming period as on the one hand, the sworn accountants are taking action, who will make "leaf and feather" the finances of the organization in the shadow of the revelation that the elder of Father Antonios was the one who secretly emptied a bank vault in the previous 24 hours, and on the other hand, juvenile prosecutors handling the case have asked to examine confidential children's files.
As reported by the Greek protothema.gr, the two prosecutors have turned their attention to three persons, who are either still being hosted in "Ark of the World" structures or were hosted in the past, as there are indications of sexual abuse. In fact, for the third of these persons, who is allegedly a minor, the indications of sexual abuse emerged following a statement given to the two prosecutors by a former employee of an Ark of the World facility.
At the same time, seven witnesses testified to the Sub-Directorate for Minors of the National Police. and five to the prosecutors handling the case, with the last two childcare workers yesterday, Thursday (24/11), public complaints about the Ark of the World continue.
Our compatriot, Maria Charalambous, who is a psychologist by profession and had to work for some months as a volunteer in a structure of the "Ark of the World" reveals with a shocking post on Facebook the "bombshells" that led her to denounce the Ark.
As she says, when the children confided in her, crying about their beatings, she ran in shock and denounced without a second thought the "strange" things that were happening in the structure.
Maria's shocking post about the beating of children at the Ark of the World
"Well, since so much has been said and everyone has an opinion, I would like to share my experience.
I worked at the Ark as a volunteer from April to August 2022. My contact with the children was daily, as well as with all the staff.
During the first months I was enchanted by the atmosphere and the love for the children. After a short time I learn from educators about a robbery and what followed. First bombshell. You fall from the clouds.
Yet you keep going. There are difficulties, which you would expect if you really want to work in such an environment.
Then you learn that kids have to drop out of school by necessity and you read to them just to pass the class. Second bomb.
The feast comes, you meet Father Antonio and the others. That's when I began to think that maybe what I learned, mostly from the staff, might be unfortunate instances. Once he spoke to me and I was moved by something he had said.
Then strange things begin to happen. You try to find out. The kids lose whatever appetite they had for reading and seem detached. No kid says, no one in charge. Slowly, slowly you learn and you see children's recorded testimonies of what happened. Third bombshell.
You know you want to file a complaint, especially once the kids take their exams. But in a conversation you have with one of the kids you learn that he was beaten up in one of the structures. Wednesday Bombshell. The kid tells me you're 24 years old and begs me in tears to do something because I'm an adult. At that moment you want to tell him to be patient because you're going to report it. But you can't say it. You wait for the other children to finish their exams.
By the end of August you hear about the dismissal of a colleague who complained. That's when you decide you can't wait. How many bombs? You go, unbeknownst to them. But then I realized that some people knew I was going, even though I didn't tell them, so I could see the kids. We just pretended that I didn't know that they knew and they didn't know about the complaint I made. We're continuing classes with the kids.
I hadn't been there for 2 or 3 days and a kid asked me why I didn't show up. I told him I was sick. He asked me: madam will you come tomorrow? I told him if nothing comes up yes. I never went back. I was told that they had started a search and they couldn't send volunteers. So I didn't have time to say goodbye to the children, because I was leaving for Cyprus. The kids knew, but I still didn't have time to say goodbye. So the children again experienced 2 abandonments from people who were with them every day from one day to the next.
You hope there is no cover-up; you go and find the prosecutor's office just before you leave, to inform them that you are travelling. Wonderful person, at least with the lady I talked to. You tell her what's stressing you out and you're glad everything's moving forward.
Then you calm down and hear about sex crimes.
I know people who were close to me wanted me to drop the charges, they thought I would be stigmatized, and I also know that when they see the publication they will be in agony. But at least I have family and friends, some of whom knew everything from the beginning.
Also, this anguish is nothing compared to that of children, who don't have the same support system. When you see children watching your family and saying that this is the family they want to have, when children call the childminders mom, when a child calls you plural and says: are you stupid; and then is afraid to go to sleep, when you read to them and say: are you making fun of me? and they say no. Little do you know that teachers' holidays might be few and far between, when you get angry and say things you regret afterwards, when they make fun of your accent as an excuse not to read, then you know they are children. They happened not to be born into a family where you are.
So if you're working in a rotten world, change it, or at least try. Do what you can and more, even if it turns ANYWHERE THE BALL turns. You did what you had to do, even if it sources a good one and you rolled your eyes. Better to be blind than pretend you can't see.
Firstly I would like whatever contributions were going to be made, to be made because the children are not to blame for anything.
Secondly there are people in the Ark who really love the children ( just afraid to speak up. They love them, but they are not ready to bare their eyes maybe because they are afraid of the stigma and they have to feed their own) . I have seen some of the staff really bow their heads for the kids, care about them, get tired, but are there for them. Although it's still hard to understand why you don't speak up, although I kinda understand that you might be afraid of getting the ball rolling. The problem is high up, in the hierarchy and in the system.
I would like volunteers to continue to contribute in whatever way they can. There are many needs .
Thank you to those who spoke ( they know who I am)"
"I bow to an excellent scientist" says Chronis Hlitsios
The post of Maria Charalambous was shared by Chronis Hlitsios ,who last August had denounced to Volos Security incidents of physical abuse against underage children in a structure of the Ark in the area of Diminiu in Volos. In fact, when he announced his intention to make a complaint to the police , he was told he would be dismissed from the facility.
"I met Maria at the Ark facility in Volos. An excellent scientist but also a person of great sensitivity, I was terribly impressed that despite her young age she devoted endless hours to the learning support of the children. This made her particularly dear to both children and employees. Maria is the second person to make a complaint to Volos security. All I can say is that when you see young people with vision and education standing up and fighting for their ideals then you can only hope for a better tomorrow. I bow down and respect Maria Charalambous without limit and bravo to Megalonissos for the worthy children she produces."
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