Billionaire's Son Charged With Delaying Wife's Burial
A judge has ordered that Hans Kristian Rausing remain in a psychiatric hospital until his trial.
| Posted Wednesday, July 18, 2012, at 11:42 AM
Police tape lines the outside of the house of Eva Rausing in Knightsbridge on July 10, 2012, in London
Photograph by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images.
UPDATE: TetraPak heir Hans Kristian Rausing was granted conditional bail on Wednesday after being charged with delaying the burial of his American-born wife. Eva Rausing's body was discovered last week in the couple's home, where authorities believe it remained for days.
According to the Telegraph, Rausing was arrested on suspicion of murder last week but moved to a treatment facility for alcohol withdrawal. He was then charged with preventing the decent burial of his wife.
On Wednesday, the AFP reports, a London court granted Rausing conditional bail. He is to appear in court again on July 26. The judge required that he live at the Capio Nightingale psychiatric hospital and not leave the grounds unless accompanied by a member of hospital staff.
Friday, July 13: Police in London have arrested Hans Kristian Rausing on suspicion of murder after his wife's body was discovered earlier this week, police said on Friday.
According to CNN, his wife's death is still being treated as unexplained after an autopsy failed to provide the cause of death. Authorities are awaiting the results of further tests.
Rausing, a TetraPak heir, was originally arrested on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs. The police then found his wife, Eva Rausing, dead in the couple's home.
Wednesday, July 11: The mysterious death of the American-born wife of a TetraPak heir among the imposing stucco mansions along London's Cadogan Place, has captivated Britain's tabloids and raised unsettling questions about the intersection of drugs, wealth, and addiction.
London police discovered the body of 48-year-old Eva Rausing on Monday, after arresting her husband, whom officials suspected of possessing illegal drugs. When the police went to search the couple's home, they found Rausing lying dead in a bedroom. According to the Daily Mail, Rausing's body may have gone undiscovered for days. London's homicide unit is currently investigating the case.
Hans Kristian Rausing, Eva's husband, was taken into custody after he was spotted driving erratically in south London, the New York Times reports. He has since been transferred to a hospital, where he is receiving treatment for drug-related complications and is awaiting questioning by the police.
The couple, who met in an American rehab clinic, were among the wealthiest in Britain and were dedicated supporters of the nation's charities. Eva was a trustee of the Prince's Foundation for Building Community, which is the personal philanthropy organization of Prince Charles. Their fortune derived from TetraPak, the company founded by Hans' grandfather, who pioneered the sale of flat-top milk cartons and other beverages.
Weeks before Hans' arrest, photographs emerged in the British press that showed the pair looking gaunt and disheveled. Eva, who has often been seen at charity events in radiant dresses, looked pale and exhausted in a pair of denim shorts. In another photograph, Hans, also pale, is barely recognizable in a nondescript jacket and faded black trousers.
