The daughter of Babis Anagnostopoulos‘ murder victim, Caroline Crouch, now permanently resides in the Philippines with her grandmother (who has been granted custody through a court decision). Her grandfather David Crouch spoke to Alpha TV and revealed that they recently told little Lydia that her mother died but she doesn’t know the details of her tragic death. “We told Lydia that her mother died, but we haven’t told her how. That’s something for the future. It’s too harsh to tell a 6-year-old child that her father did something like that to her mother,” he emphasized and continued: “We still celebrate Caroline’s birthday with a small gathering with Lydia’s friends and a cake that says ‘Happy Birthday Mama’ on it. We also hold a memorial service on the anniversary of her death, where our beloved Caroline is buried. I must not let Caroline’s memory fade. I loved her very much.” When asked about Lydia’s life in the Philippines, he answered: “Idyllic. Lydia is a happy child whose only concerns are taking care of her teddy bear, her friends, playing, school and what to have for dinner. In the Philippines, it’s not unusual for a child to grow up with their grandparents, since many parents leave for abroad to find better-paying jobs.”
According to him, “there’s no immediate plan for Lydia to come to Greece. Maybe when she grows up and can pay for the ticket, she might visit the place where she was born. It will be her decision.” David Crouch added that his granddaughter has no contact with Babis Anagnostopoulos’ parents.
“Babis cannot see a photo of his daughter”
Babis Anagnostopoulos’ lawyer, Alexandros Papaioannidis, also spoke to the television station, stating that “Babis remains in Malandrino prison and will remain there for a long time. From the beginning, the sentence imposed is life imprisonment, which doesn’t change.” Regarding whether he has seen a photo of his daughter, Mr. Papaioannidis answered: “The only thing I can say for certain is that due to limited internet access within the prison, it’s impossible for him to see anything. He certainly wants her to be well and to have any communication with his daughter, both him and his family. Babis’ family was upset that they cannot communicate with the little girl, not that she went to the Philippines. How can the parents’ right to communication be exercised when the child left for abroad without any notification,” while emphasizing that “what they did was a violation of a court decision.”
