Defrocked Greek Priest Charged Over Acid Attack During Disciplinary Hearing

On Thursday, a defrocked Greek Orthodox priest was charged with several counts of inflicting serious bodily injury over an acid attack that left seven senior bishops and three others wounded.

(Photo : Pexels/Kindel Media)
A Greek priest was arrested after the acid attack.

Greek Priest Arrested for Throwing Acid at Several People During the Disciplinary Hearing

According to a recently published article in the Associated Press, a police guard detained the defrocked Greek priest late Wednesday after he hurled acid at the bishops when they announced, at a disciplinary hearing, that he has been officially expelled from the priesthood for his wrongdoings.

Church authorities claimed he was dismissed for "ecclesiastical and criminal crimes" such as fraud and illicit drug use and that he had posted threatening statements on social media before Wednesday's hearing, as elaborated in an article published in The Washington Post.

Following this, the 37-year-old Greek priest was charged with multiple counts for causing grievous bodily harm. The victims in the said incident included seven senior bishops and three other individuals.

Church Officials and Greece's Government Condemned the Attack

The Orthodox Church's ruling Holy Synod deemed the assault "abhorrent and unusual" and confirmed that the suspect has been expelled from the priesthood after holding the lesser rank of deacon, reported Spectrum News.

Greece's government President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and the spiritual head of the world's Orthodox Christians Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, who is based in Istanbul, Turkey, denounced the assault.

The Greek priest lawyer Andreas Theodoropoulos said, "The suspect ... is a psychiatric patient who is taking strong medication. He did not fully comprehend the consequences of his action ... but was responding to a perceived injustice," according to a published report in NZ Herald.

President Sakellaropolou also released her statement on the issue: "I express my disgust for this unprecedented incident and wish the victims a speedy recovery," per 7 News.

Health Condition of the Victims

The victims of the acid attack were hospitalized with burns. Two of them are still in critical condition. The arresting officer was also afflicted with burns and was sent to the hospital. The majority of the victims were released on Thursday.

Photographs of the assault scene in downtown Athens were broadcasted on official ERT TV. It showed bloodstains and acid burns on the walls of the hearing chamber and on tiny tables where the bishops were sitting.

The bloodstains and burn holes on the bishops' and accompanying clergy's discarded black robes were so visible that they could be seen in the TV broadcast. The victims did not expect the acid attack but it was later found out that the Greek priest already hinted at the crime on his social media account.

Substance Used in the Acid Attack

The caustic chemical used in the assault has not been disclosed by the police although the suspect's lawyer characterized it as acid to reporters outside a courtroom where the charges were being filed.

The police authorities will still conduct an investigation and will make sure that both parties in the said acid attack are given equal treatment. As of today, there are still no updates as to when the suspect will present himself before the ruling court.