The founder of a child charity sentenced to 9.5 years in jail for his role in a case involving the abuse of minors under his care has said he is unable to pay the €60,000 fine to avoid prison.
In a statement issued after his sentencing, Father Antonios Papanikolaou, who established of Ark of the World (Kivotos tou Kosmou), described his conviction as a having been decided in advance.
“The conviction, issued in my absence after my lawyers withdrew … and after I left, for reasons of extreme bias of the court and deprivation of my defense rights, was predetermined,” the cleric said.
The ruling gave Papanikolaou the option to buy off his jail sentence at a rate of €10 a day.
“I live with my wife and minor child on a reduced salary and therefore cannot pay even the smallest installment. I leave myself to any fellow human being … hoping for their help,” he said.
“The imposed sentence paves the way for the suffering I have endured for years and will continue to follow as far as human justice allows,” he said.