Caroline Crouch

Who was Caroline Crouch?

Caroline Crouch was a 20-year-old British woman who moved to Greece when she was eight years old and studied statistics. After meeting her Greek helicopter pilot husband on the island of Alonissos, the pair married in 2019 in Portugal. Later welcoming a baby girl Lydia into the world in June 2020

Caroline Crouch Found Dead/Suspected Robbery

On the morning of May 11th, 2021, Caroline Crouch was found dead in the attic of the home she shared with her husband, Charalambos “Babis” Anagnostopoulos, and their 11-month-old daughter Lydia. She was found by police officers, her lifeless body on a bed next to her crying daughter, with Babis nearby handcuffed to the floor with duct tape over his eyes and mouth.

33-year-old helicopter pilot Babis alleged that 4 men broke into the house, put a gun to his baby’s head, tied him up, and killed his wife before making off with around €15,000 worth of cash and valuables. The family dog was also found strangled by its own lead.

Police became suspicious of this story as no trace of the criminal gang that committed such a violent burglary could be found. Further suspicions were raised when they looked into the data collected from Caroline Crouch’s fitness tracker, worn on her wrist, which highlighted some discrepancies within the story.

For 37 days Babis played his part as the grieving husband, speaking to the media and even hugging his mother-in-law Susan Del Cuesta during a memorial service.

It was only after 37 days that the 33-year-old Greek helicopter pilot admitted what had really happened.

What Really Happened?

On June 17, 2021, Babis confessed to the murder of his British wife. He admitted that he smothered her to death following an 8-hour interrogation.

With the data pulled from Babis’ phone, indicating his movements, and the pulse readings taken from Caroline’s fitness tracker, it is believed that he suffocated his wife while she slept. However, Anagostopoulos’ version of events is somewhat different.

He claims his actions were taken during an altercation between the pair about their daughter’s care.

Trial

During the trial, Anagnostopoulos recounted his version of events. He claimed that on the night in question, they had an argument because their daughter Lydia nearly fell from the couch while he was watching her. After some failed attempts to patch things up he went upstairs at 4 am to try again; this is when he admitted that he killed Caroline because she did not give him an apology. He admitted holding a pillow on her head for five minutes as he listened to her muffled screams.

Throughout the trial, several passages were read from Caroline’s diary, illustrating the toxic relationship the pair were engaged in. A level of domestic violence clearly played a part in this case, and it is documented that Caroline was threatening to leave the relationship at the time.

Verdict

Charalambos Anagnostopoulos was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Broken down, that equates to 16 years for the murder of Caroline Crouch and an additional 11 and a half years for killing their dog and perverting the course of justice. In total, he has been sentenced to 27 1/2 years in prison, of which he will only serve 18 1/2 years due to the time served and the fact that he worked while in prison.

He will serve his time at the Korydallos Prison on the outskirts of Athens, a notorious prison plagued with violence and overcrowding issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to Caroline Crouch?

20-year-old Caroline Crouch was suffocated to death by her Greek husband as her 11-month-old daughter lay next to her.

Who are Caroline Crouch’s parents?

Susan Dela Cuesta and David Crouch are the parents of the British mother.

Who was Caroline Crouch?

Caroline Crouch was a 20-year-old British statistics student who was brutally murdered in a fit of rage by her killer husband.

Where is Caroline Crouch’s daughter now?

Caroline’s daughter Lydia is being cared for by her grandparents, Susan Dela Cuesta and David Crouch.