On the third day of a nationwide murder trial, Eleni Mylonopoulou, a counselor who had seen the couple for several months for couples counseling services, testified that the young Briton had fallen victim to an “extremely manipulative” man. Babis Anagnostopoulos, 34, who admitted to strangling Krauts, 20, in the presence of their daughter on May 11 last year, knew his actions very well, he told judges and jurors in court. “The accused’s behavior towards Caroline was extremely manipulative, extremely controlling,” the counselor said, describing a marriage that was becoming increasingly abusive. “Too often Caroline did not understand herself; she would be locked up at home alone for days.” Mylonopoulou, whose lengthy testimony prevailed on a dramatic day of proceedings, told the court that it was clear to her that Crouch desperately wanted to leave Anagnostopoulos, whom he had met as a teenager in Alonissos, the island where he grew up. “From the very first session, the 20-year-old had confessed that she wanted to take the child and leave,” he said, explaining that Crouch had complained that he was often left with no means of shopping. “Her mother would send her money and take it; she did not have even five euros on it. He wanted to go to a pastry school but did not have the money to go. He could not move. “Everything had to happen to a taxi driver friend of the accused; when a person is manipulative like the accused, he wants to know where the other is at all times.” Caroline Crouch. Photo: Rex / Shutterstock The counselor said she had seen the couple dozens of times before receiving a written notice from Anagnostopoulos, abruptly ending the sessions. For almost six weeks, the helicopter pilot tried to blame the murder on a failed burglary by “foreign” thieves. In a rare move, the Greek authorities announced a reward of 300,000 euros for information that could lead to the perpetrators. When he finally came, his confession shocked the nation. Crouch was among 17 women in Greece last year who were murdered by their partners. The defendant, who also admitted to killing Caroline’s seven-month-old puppy in an attempt to make his allegation of violent burglary more realistic, is charged with premeditated murder, animal cruelty and lying to police – charges that could mean life in police. prison. Fourteen prosecution witnesses are expected to testify. Since the start of the trial, Anagnostopoulos, who claims to have committed the crime in a “blurred state of mind”, has personally questioned several witnesses as part of a strategy aimed at proving that the murder was not planned. If he manages to convince the court, his sentence could be reduced. Examining the consultant – as permitted by Greek law – he attempted on Thursday to refute the allegation that he was manipulative and controlling. Mylonopoulou, who was forced to quarrel verbally with the man she once advised, told the court that she was so convinced that Anagnostopoulos had committed the crime when news of the murder circulated that she had called her lawyer to say a lot. The gift, he said, was the death of Caroline’s dog, Roxy. “Caroline loved this dog. Killing it first was symbolic. And Caroline was asleep. He killed her in her sleep. He had it in his hands. “Life was drained from her into his own hands,” he said, describing the manner in which the Briton died as self-controlling. “It simply came to our notice then [her dying] and killed her. “She also showed abusive behavior towards the child, which she placed next to her mother’s dead body; a baby has a special relationship with his mother, whom he abused by placing him next to his mother’s lifeless body.”
