A 48-year-old man is mourning the loss of his 104-year-old girlfriend.
Mart Soeson, an Estonian lawyer, was in a relationship with Elfriedie Riit, who had previously been married to his grandfather.
The couple's journey began in 1996 when Soeson flew to Australia to study advanced English and she invited him to stay in her home at Bankstown.
Over time, the pair's familial acquaintance blossomed and this led to an official relationship in January 2013 when Soeson was 37, and she was 92.
In September 2018, Soeson moved to Australia to be with his older partner and moved into her residence.
However, he faced challenges as the Department of Home Affairs questioned the legitimacy of their relationship, which forced the lawyer to defend their bond during a three-hour interrogation at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
During the tribunal hearing, Soeson passionately spoke out about their connection, emphasizing (via the Daily Mail): "We have intimacy - holding hands, hugs, kissing. We have a spiritual and intellectual relationship. We have a strong emotional connection to each other."
He was asked if the couple had any sexual intimacy between them and disclosed that there had been none. He also confessed that the pair do not share a bedroom.
Soeson claimed that Riit was the one to initiate the relationship, revealing: "She said many times that she wanted someone by her side. She was a widow. She was lonely and helpless.'
Despite being the widow of his late grandfather, Soeson stressed that he never viewed his partner as "grandmother," adding: "I’ve never called her 'grandmother'. There was no grandson-grandmother relationship."
Furthermore, tribunal member David Barker noted there was a lack of information regarding the nature of Soeson's romance with Riit, who did not have any children.
"We don't have many mutual friends," Soeson responded. "Most of her friends are dead and due to her nature she is a recluse person."
Riit suffered from Alzheimer's disease and had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder with depressive symptoms. She also had hearing and vision impairment.
She moved into an aged care facility in September 2022 due to her deteriorating health.
According to the Daily Mail, Riit peacefully passed away at a nursing home in Sydney's west on Saturday (April 13) afternoon.
The outlet stated that the 104-year-old "knew" her time had come, so she said goodbye to Soeson then crossed her hands on her chest and passed.
It has not been disclosed what effect Riit's death would have on Soeson's appeal as his hearing is still scheduled to resume in May.
