A 24-year-old Cretan man and his 17-year-old second cousin swallowed pesticide in a bid to take their own lives as their relatives did not approve of their romantic involvement, police said yesterday after finding the man dead and the girl in a coma.

The couple, who began their relationship this summer but faced strong objections from relatives in their small community in Ierapetra, drove to a mountainous area and drank unspecified quantities of pesticide, police said. An uncle, who had reportedly been warned about the planned double suicide, found the couple. The girl was yesterday in critical condition. Doctors said it would be two weeks before they could draw any conclusions about her health.

Reacting to the tragedy, clerics appeared on television, saying the Church of Greece allows marriage between second cousins. Meanwhile, scientists on Crete complained about the ease of access to strong pesticides like Lannate, which the couple consumed, saying they have been used in many local suicide attempts.