I am in lockdown in Sydney, Australia so I have been staying up late sleuthing as I am following three cases which are very interesting - this case, Melissa Caddick and Marion Barter.
Tonight I decided to do a timeline of some events in C's life which I would like you to help me with as I came late to this case and also to try to understand why and how C got married so young.
TIMELINE OF CAROLINE CROUCH
? Born in the UK to Susana and David Crouch
?Age 8 Moves to the island of Alonissos
? Meets B
? Miscarriage
November 14, 2015 Marries B in Portugal
?baby Lydia is born
?Trip to The Philippines
?Trip to Dubai
?They rent a house in Glyka Nera, Athens
May 2021 C is murdered by B
PORTUGAL I read on this thread once that a member said that they went to Portugal to get married as you can marry there under 18yo.
BUT The minimum age requirements for getting married in Portugal is 16. However,
written consent of both parents is required for those aged under 18.
Getting Married in Portugal - All you need to know
To get married, at least one of the couple must have lived in Portugal for a minimum of 30 days. After this period, the couple can obtain a certificate of no impediment (unless you’re a British national, in which case you don’t need this). This certificate will be provided by an embassy for a civil ceremony, or by a priest for a Catholic one.
While civil partnerships don’t exist in the same way as Portugal as in some other countries, there is such thing as a
Civil Union (
União de Facto) between a couple who have lived together for at least two years.This union basically allows some of the rights of marriage, including your partner, becoming your next of kin, having equal property and inheritance rights, and any
Portuguese tax benefits. While you don’t need to officially register for this union, you will need to formally apply to have your taxes assessed as a couple.
There can be a lot of bureaucracy involved in weddings in Portugal, and you’ll need to abide by various laws and provide lots of documentation. The key documents you’ll require are as follows:
- Proof of residence (a passport if you’re a temporary resident)
- A certified copy of your birth certificate issued within the last six months
- A certificate of no impediment issued from a consulate in Portugal, or officially translated into Portuguese if issued elsewhere. This isn’t required if you’re a British national.
- A baptismal certificate if you’re getting married in a Roman Catholic Church.
Once you receive approval to get married, your wedding must take place within three months. Civil marriages are usually booked at least a month in advance and must be conducted in Portuguese, with a minimum of two witnesses watching on.
Wedding fees in Portugal vary depending on what kind of ceremony you have and where you’re from. You might need to pay for each of the following elements:
- Notice of an intended marriage/civil partnership:
- Certificate of no impediment
- Registration of civil partnership
- Making addition/correction to civil partnership registration
You can get an idea of the fees involved for some of these processes by looking at the
Consular Fees Table provided by the British government.
Weddings in Portugal: local traditions and laws | Expatica
GREECE The legal minimum
age for marriage is 18 years
old. Younger couples
can get married if they receive special dispensation from a court, which also requires parental permission. You’ll also have to go through a waiting period between your application for marriage and your wedding day. This waiting period will vary depending on the municipality where you choose to marry, but can take anywhere from a week to a few months.
For a civil marriage license, you can expect a seven-day waiting period. (They had a civil marriage in Portugal so they could have had one in Greece) Each party to the marriage will need the a copy of the following documents. For a religious ceremony, plan to have two copies each - one for the house of worship and one for the town hall
- A birth certificate with the Apostille stamp certifying the copy
- An official Apostille translated into Greek, which can be certified by a lawyer, a foreign ministry’s translation department, a certified translator or the Greek consulate from your home country
- Proof of freedom to marry, or affidavit of marriage, notarised, in both English and Greek
- A decree of absolution of your previous marriage, if applicable
- A copy of the local newspaper where your intent to marry was published
Once you’ve gotten all required documentation together, you can take it in-person to the town hall or the president of the community. You can have your wedding planner do this for you if you wish. The marriage license will be issued eight days later, and will remain valid for six months. After your license is issued, you must submit a joint application to the mayor stating where you’d like to marry, and confirming the wedding ceremony date.
Getting married in Greece: A complete guide - Wise, formerly TransferWise
In summary, it appears that getting married under 18 in both Greece and Portugal requires written consent by both parents, a lot of paper work and months of preparation. I still cannot understand why either the parents did not stop them from being married until C was at least 18yo and why C, being a family girl, did not want her family and friends there. They could have then just gone to The Algarve for the honeymoon. Why the hurry if C was not pregnant?