A Romanian monk has been arrested after allegedly attacking two men with a box cutter inside a monastery in Cyprus. The 51-year-old is accused of grabbing the blade and stabbing a fellow preacher and a worker, and he’s now under investigation for attempted murder.
Incident at Agios Neophytos Monastery
On Friday, the monk was visited by a delegation of priests and asked to leave the cell at Agios Neophytos Monastery in Paphos, where he had been living and which his late father previously occupied. Police believe that he became ‘enraged’, refusing to give up his keys and vacate the premises. He then allegedly grabbed a paper cutter from the desk in his room and launched a violent attack.
Investigators believe Abbot Leontios was the intended target. He was the one with the authority to demand the monk’s removal. However, a 53-year-old monastery technician who was accompanying the committee was allegedly stabbed and suffered injuries to his throat and hand. He was transported to Paphos General Hospital, where he had his wounds stitched and was then admitted for treatment.
Injuries and Arrest
A second monk, aged 27, acquired a hand injury when he tried to intervene, police say. His injuries were not considered life-threatening, and he was discharged from hospital after receiving first aid.
Later that day, the religious figure was arrested and placed under investigation for a string of offences, including attempted murder, acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm, wounding, carrying a knife, and the illegal possession and carrying of an offensive weapon. The monk remains in custody due to the ‘serious’ nature of the matter.
