Tragic pics of rescue dog strangled by Caroline Crouch’s monster husband as he staged fake break-in to cover up murder
TRAGIC pictures have been released of the dog that Caroline Crouch's killer husband smothered as he staged a fake break-in to cover up her murder.
The body of the family's pet dog Roxy was found by police hanging lifeless on the bannister of their home in Athens, Greece.
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After suffocating Caroline, 20, Babis Anagnostopoulos, killed their pet dog before moving the pup to the stairs.
He strung up the one-year-old dog to make it seem more credible that burglars had entered the home and murdered his wife and pet.
The animal shelter where Roxy was adopted from posted a picture of the pup on May 19 reminiscing over the day the pup was introduced to Caroline and Babis.
"It was early December when our volunteer phone rang and she heard an angelic voice asking to adopt one of our many strays," the shelter, "I Koiti", posted to .
"Appointment booked for the next day on the one hand with Roxy and on the other hand the sweet Caroline cuddle with little Lydia and Babis.
"They fell in love with our little one at first sight and didn't take long to leave this time with their new family member, little Roxy.
"Caroline's family was one of those we volunteers consider as role models."
Meanwhile, Caroline's parents will today apply for full custody of their 11-month-old granddaughter.
David and Susan Crouch will file a request to care for Lydia at the family court in Athens.
Babis’ parents are looking after 11-month-old Lydia and say they want to agree on custody terms.
But Thanassis Harmanis, the Crouch family lawyer, said Caroline’s parents, who live on Greek island Alonissos, want to look after her.
He said: “You cannot give the child to the parents of a murderer.”
In a testimony today, twisted Babis shamelessly blamed Caroline for her murder stating that she became aggressive after a miscarriage.
"Caroline became pregnant a few weeks after we got married," he told a judge in an Athens court.
"Unfortunately, when she was three months pregnant, Caroline miscarried, and since then her behaviour had been gradually changing.
"But the catalyst for the change in Caroline’s behaviour was the miscarriage of her first pregnancy.
"From that moment on, she started to have aggressive outbursts and explosions towards me."
Babis went on to say that what he did was for the safety of their daughter.
"Again, I apologise and I would like to point out that my only thought and guide to what happened next was my only daughter,"
It was revealed that Caroline penned heartbreaking diary entries in code to secretly record the horrifying abuse she faced at the hands of her killer husband.
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Excerpts depict a rocky and controlling marriage with her Greek helicopter pilot husband, which led her to threaten to leave him.
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It is believed the diaries, some of which were written in code, chronicle disturbing details of Crouch’s deteriorating and abusive marriage in the run-up to Babis strangling her. reports .
But Greek prosecutors have banned further publication of the secret diaries, arguing that they could prejudice the trial.
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a . from 10am to noon.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.