A 20-year-old novice monk was violently assaulted Thursday evening at the Esphigmenou Monastery’s representative quarters in Karyes, Mount Athos, in an incident that has shocked the monastic community.
According to preliminary reports, the attack occurred around 7:45 p.m. when an unidentified man dressed in clerical robes struck the young monk multiple times.
The assailant reportedly punched him in the face and struck his shoulder with a wooden object.
The victim was transported to the Mount Athos Health Center, where he remains under observation. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, authorities said.
The attacker fled the scene and remains at large.
Local authorities are actively investigating the incident and are working to identify and apprehend the suspect.
Mount Athos, an autonomous monastic state and spiritual center of the Eastern Orthodox Church, is rarely the scene of such violent episodes, and the motive behind the assault remains unclear.