Theologian's complaint unveils monk misconduct

Theologian Theodoros Kyriakou has made a formal complaint to the police regarding allegations of sexual harassment by a monk towards an individual who had previously been associated with the Avvakoum Monastery.

During an appearance on the "ALPHA Good Morning" show, Kyriakou stated that he became involved in the matter as the individual who made the specific accusation to the police confided their story to him. Additionally, Kyriakou dismissed reports suggesting inconsistencies in the alleged victim's testimony, stressing that "this individual has their own account. It wasn't a one-off incident." He further noted that the accuser is a vulnerable individual.

When asked if he encouraged the individual to approach the authorities after hearing their story, Kyriakou responded, "I cannot comment."

Regarding the reasons for his summons by the police, Kyriakou explained that his name was mentioned during the accuser's statement.

It's noteworthy that a few months earlier, the monastery had initiated legal action against Theodore Kyriakou for defamation. This stemmed from Kyriakou's online posts criticising the monastery's practice of soliciting donations from the faithful for various products, such as meals prepared by the monks.

Authorities are actively investigating the allegation of sexual harassment by a monk at the monastery, with the Vulnerable Persons Management Division already heavily involved in the case.

Simultaneously, prosecutors are conducting inquiries into a separate matter related to a video that surfaced, showing a monk assaulting a woman. Law enforcement is also investigating two distinct cases concerning the Avvakoum Monastery. The first involves financial matters reported by Metropolitan Tamassos and Oreini Isaia on Friday, March 8, and is being handled by the Economic Crime Investigation Unit. The second case, investigated by the HQE Department of the Police, concerns complaints from monks of the monastery related to offenses including assault, threats, violence, and others.