Billionaire Hans Kristian Rausing's in-laws have vowed to stand by him as he's charged with preventing 'the lawful and decent burial' of his wife Eva, insisting they love the Tetra Pak heir 'unconditionally'.
After initially arresting him on suspicion of murder, Scotland Yard announced yesterday that Rausing, 49, had been charged with preventing Eva Rausing's burial after it emerged he may have lived with his wife's body in their £70 million Belgravia mansion for a week or more after she died of a suspected drugs overdose.
But Mrs Rausing's father Tom Kemeny is refusing to blame his son-in-law. In a statement he has paid tribute to 'a beautiful, generous, and fun daughter, wife, mother, sister and aunt' and described Mr Rausing as his 'son'.
Grim discovery: Police found the badly decomposed body of Eva Rausing, right, several hours after arresting her husband Hans Kristian Rausing, left
Family photo: Eva and Hans Kristian Rausing photographed during happier times
Investigators believe American-born Eva may have been lying dead in an upstairs bedroom for days when her body was found on July 9
Mr Rausing, who has been recovering in a secure hospital after being stopped by police driving erratically in Wandsworth last week, will now appear before magistrates today.
Eva and Hans were married in London¿s Swedish Church by the Archbishop of Sweden in 1992
Last night a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: 'Hans Kristian Rausing, of Cadogan Place, SW1, was today charged with preventing the lawful and decent burial of the body of Eva Rausing on or before 9 July 2012.
'He will appear in custody at West London Magistrates' Court on Wednesday 18 July.' Police are treating the death of Mrs Rausing as 'unexplained' and a post-mortem examination held last week failed to establish a formal cause of death.
An inquest into the mother-of-four's death opened at Westminster Coroner's Court on Friday.
Mrs Rausing's body was only discovered after officers stopped her husband on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and after finding drugs in his car, they searched the couple's home .
Yesterday Mrs Rausing's devastated father, Tom Kemeny, said his daughter had interrupted her own drug treatment to help her husband, who is heir to a £5.4 billion fortune.
He wrote: 'At the time of her death her overriding concern was for the safety of her beloved husband, for whom she interrupted her own treatment to return to London in an attempt to take him back with her to California, but tragically to no avail.
Eva with her father Tom Kemeny on her wedding day. Mr Kemeny said: 'Eva and Hans Kristian were a devoted and loving couple for the 21 years they spent together.'
Family event: Eva's family said they hoped her death would raise awareness of drug addiction and financial support for those blighted by it.
'Eva and Hans Kristian adored each other and their four beautiful children. When not in London they would have family holidays with their cousins and extended family, without any glitz or glamour.
'Eva and Hans Kristian were a devoted and loving couple for the 21 years they spent together.
'They benefited thousands of lives through their personal involvement and philanthropic activities.
'They bravely battled their demons and supported each other and Eva will be a devastating loss to our beloved 'son' Hans Kristian, whom we love unconditionally with all our hearts.' The couple's drug problems have been widely reported.
Eva as a teenager: Her parents described her as a 'philanthropist' who was dedicated to helping others
In 2008 they were investigated by police over drugs but the prosecution was formally discontinued.
In a joint statement, Mrs Rausing's family said they hoped her death would raise awareness of drug addiction and financial support for those blighted by it.
They said: 'The Kemeny family is deeply distressed by the tragedy of their daughter Eva's death and have seen the widespread worldwide media coverage of her difficulties over the last few days.
'Eva would have wanted the memory of her life to be used to benefit others facing similar addiction challenges in their lives. The Kemeny family hopes this tribute will be used to draw attention to the tragedy of drug addiction and to generate awareness and financial support for this cause in the future. In due course they will launch a foundation.'
In a statement released alongside the tribute, he said: 'We believe her tragic death highlights the scourge of drugs and that it does not matter how rich, intelligent or beautiful you are, you can still be impacted and overcome by this terrible disease.'
The tribute also went into great detail about Mrs Rausing's childhood, before paying tribute to her sharp wit and intelligence.
It also quotes Nick Barton, chief executive of Action on Addiction, as saying: 'Eva worked tirelessly for years, without any desire for public recognition and despite her own health issues, to help people and charities in the addiction field through her wonderfully generous support.'
Prelude to a tragedy: Eva and Hans Rausing at a Windsor polo match with her sister Be and her fiance polo player Jack Kidd in 2000
£70 million home: Police outside the Rausing's London mansion in Cadogan Place where Eva was found dead
Billionaire Hans Kristian Rausing may have lived with his wife Eva's dead body for up to four days before it was discovered by police
Investigators were alerted to Mrs Rausing's body by a strong smell of decomposition after arriving at the sprawling £70million Georgian mansion several hours after arresting her husband.
They now suspect Mrs Rausing, 48, may have died as long as four weeks before the grim discovery a week ago.
They are studying CCTV, banking and phone records, as well as statements from friends and neighbours, to try to identify her last movements.
Hans Kristian Rausing, 49, remained in a secure hospital last night, receiving treatment for a mental breakdown and drugs withdrawal.
Mr Rausing, whose fortune came from the £4.5billion Tetra Pak packaging empire, remains under arrest on suspicion of murdering his wife but cannot be interviewed until declared fit by medical staff.
The advanced decomposition of her body has made the task of identifying how she died more difficult for police and pathology staff.
An initial post-mortem examination last week failed to find a cause of death and a second may take place this week on the instructions of her husband’s legal team.
Smile: Internet pictures from her Myspace page of Eva Rausing who was found dead in her home in Belgravia
Meanwhile investigators are waiting for the detailed results of a battery of toxicology tests that could indicate what role was played by drugs and alcohol.
The sensitive tests will also help pinpoint exactly when she died by measuring levels of chemicals produced naturally after death.
The news came as unsent emails composed by Mrs Rausing emerged showing her desperate battle with drugs and fear of death.
In one, written in January 2010 and published in a Sunday newspaper, she appealed for help to her husband’s father Hans, who built the family fortune.
Glamour: The couple leave a party thrown by Tatler Magazine and Daimler Chrysler in Portman Square, London in 2003
Life of privilege: The Rausings at a society ball eight years ago (left) and at The Grosvenor House Arts And Antiques Fair in London in 2003
She said: ‘I realise that I will die and there is a part of me that desperately does not want to die and wants to fight, fight, fight but I am sliding and I am desperately calling to you for help.
'If nothing changes I will die, Hans. I just felt that I did not want to die without trying everything that I possibly could to reach you and to ask you to please help me.
‘Your son feels very, very hopeless. Although I stick close to him, I am losing my grip because I am weakening.’
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