Young man who married his 91-year-old great aunt fighting legal battle to claim her pension

'She wasn’t an expert when it came to the law and she wanted to be sure there were no legal problems with our marriage'

Mauricio Ossola claimed it was Yolanda Torres' "last wish" for them to be married a year before she died from sepsis (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A 23-year-old man who married his 91-year-old great aunt has reportedly become embroiled in a legal battle to claim her pension.

Mauricio Ossola claimed it was Yolanda Torres' "last wish" for them to be married a year before she died from sepsis.

But social services in his native Argentina reportedly refused his application after neighbours claimed they knew nothing about the nuptials, according to El Tribuno de Salta.

Now Mr Ossola, from Salta to the north-west of the country, has pledged to take his case to the Supreme Court.

"I loved Yolanda in the purest way you can love someone and that feeling, along with the pain her loss caused me, will remain with me for the rest of my life," he told the paper.

"When I began to apply for the pension I presented all the necessary paperwork and complied with all the legal requirements."

He added: "But she wasn’t an expert when it came to the law and she wanted to be sure there were no legal problems with our marriage."

The pair married in a "discreet civil ceremony" in 2015 while Mr Ossola was still studying for a law degree.

He said despite Yolanda being over 90, "she was extremely lucid" and wanted to help him complete his studies.

"She would say to me, ‘I’m going to help you because you always take care of me, you go with me to the doctor’s and you’re always helping me with my problems'," he said.

Ms Torres died 24 days after their wedding during their honeymoon in Rio de Janeiro.