Greek husband ‘confesses to murder of his British wife’
THE Greek husband of murdered Briton Caroline Crouch last night confessed to killing her in front of their baby daughter.
Charalambos ‘Babis’ Anagnostopoulos admitted strangling 20-year-old Caroline after she had threatened to walk out on him.
His confession came after police disproved his claims that she had been killed during a gang robbery at their home.
The 33-year-old helicopter pilot’s admission came following six hours of questioning by Hellenic Police who have been investigating Caroline’s death on May 11 at their home near Athens.
Hellenic Police confirmed to the Daily Express last night that he “admitted to his actions”.
He was being held in custody as a suspect in her murder.
Force spokesman Apostolos Skreka added: “He has not yet been charged due to bureaucratic behaviour. When faced with the evidence he confessed. The tracker contradicted his initial testimony that he had been roped up and gagged by three assailants.
“Instead, what we found was that he moved around the house, going from the attic to the basement.”
Skreka refused to discuss whether Anagnostopoulos had acted alone.
He said the motive that the husband allegedly gave for murdering
‘Caroline was much loved and we are as shocked here as everyone in Greece by this crime’
his wife was that she had threatened hours before to leave him.
Greek police, in a statement, said: “Investigation of the homicide of a 20-year-old native (or resident) that took place on May 11 2021 in Glyka Nera. The perpetrator is her 33-year-old husband, who confessed to his act.”
Local mayor Petros Vafinis, in the wake of the black belt kickboxer’s killing, said: “Caroline was much loved and we are as shocked here as everyone in Greece by this horrible crime.”
Her grieving mother, Susan Dela Cuesta, sobbed as she joined the family of Anagnostopoulos to pray at her graveside after she was laid to rest. Earlier yesterday detectives investigating Caroline’s torture and murder were said to have new information.
Police also reportedly flew by helicopter to a Greek island where Anagnostopoulos was said to be mourning her death with relatives, to share the fresh details.
It was claimed that officers approached him discreetly following a memorial service near the cemetery of Alonissos and told him that they had new information which he should see immediately.
Just minutes before, Anagnostopoulos was photographed hugging Caroline’s mother at the memorial.
According to local reports, he was asked to follow the officers back to police headquarters in Athens.
Alonissos mayor Mr Vafinis said: “As I was informed, the police told him that they caught a person at the airport and called him to go with them to identify him.”
He added: “The police were very discreet and there was no disturbance at the memorial. I do not know if he has been called for identification or to give a new statement.”
Officers are also said to have been examining data from a smartwatch and mobile phones as part of their investigation into the murder.
Detectives were said to be following a line of enquiry that three men – some of whom were apparently armed – broke in to the family’s home at around 5am while a fourth stood guard outside in the attack in the Glyka Nera suburb of Athens.
The men were said to have killed the family’s dog, tied up pilot Anagnostopoulos and then tortured Caroline in front of their 11-monthold daughter for an hour to get the British woman to reveal the location of the family’s valuables, before strangling her.
The alleged killers were said to have then made off with £20,000 worth of jewellery and around £10,000 in bank notes that Anagnostopoulos had withdrawn to pay for building work bills.
Police were also said to have been examining footage of a car and motorbike being driven away.