A French court has overturned an order annulling the marriage of a French Muslim woman who is accused by her husband of lying about being a virgin. The decision means that the marriage is once again valid until an appeal court rules in September.
The man’s request for an annulment was granted last month after a court ruled he had been tricked into the marriage…
Under the French civil code, a marriage can be annulled if a spouse has lied about an “essential quality” of the relationship – in this case virginity.
The decision to overturn the annulment came after the French government asked the public prosecutor to appeal lest it set a precedent where people could legally insist on virginity as a requirement for marriage.
Looks like this started out trying to use annulment as a no-fault divorce. I’ll bet it ends up being more expensive than a divorce by the time it’s over.
They’re kidding, right? Apparently if I was French, my two ex-wives would have to return a whole slew of ill-gotten alimony payments.
“Sure I’m a virgin. Why do you guys always ask that question before sex?”
The rational for this suspension is illogical and contradictory and against the french law?
Annulment is allowed for “lying about an essential quality” and the court doesn’t want virgin status to be an essential quality because too many people would think its important?
Descarte is screaming in his grave.
Bad idea if it sets a precedent. On the other hand, cosmetic surgeons who repair hymens(google hymenoplasty) are sure to get more business from French women. ha ha ha!
This is a really complex case, there was lots of debate on this issue in France. Most French people consider that a woman may not be forced to be a virgin before marriage, that annulment for this reason is a drawback for women’s rights. What about the men’s virginity? How do you define virginity? How do you control it ?Is anal sex ok, like in many muslim countries?
The would-have been husband seems to be a real moron, when he discovered at the wedding night his wife wasn’t a virgin, he went back to the party and claimed his wife was a prostitute…
If the French court agreed for the annulment, it’s mostly because the wife also wanted the annulment, because his husband turned out to be such a moron.
What’s interesting is that the French Head of Justice ( a woman), had her own marriage annuled, because she had been forced into it .
So, on one hand, annlment was finally the best choice for that particular case, but it does create a bad precedent. Most probably, the law will be changed, to limit the reasons for annulment.
this is exactly why everyone with a brain wants strict separation of church and state here in america — so we don’t have this kind of crap
DUD
#5–Zebulon==I see nothing complex here. Regardless of the subject, should one party to a transaction be allowed to lie and misrepresent something known to be of relevant importance to the other party? The notion that having to tell the truth is a violation of women’s rights is – – – well, maybe you have a point there.
#6–grog==indeed this concern may have its roots in religion but the actual law is neutral on that. Actually marrying a virgin can have many non-religious motivations. I’ve never had a virgin, so its not my issue.
Now if they could get the Catholic Church to cut back on its easy annulments.
Who cares if she is a virgin or not. as long as she is loving and caring person, that’s all that matters us guys get hung up on this virgin thing.
If these morons are so concerned about virginity, whey don’t they get a doctor to certify their bitches beforehand?
Another good thing about gay marriage. There’s never a problem about anyone claiming to be a virgin!
Better of course, is separation of marriage and state. Even better, separation of religion and state. Better still, separation FROM religion for the sane among us.
I say, all the theists can go to heck!
The issue is trust. A relitive found out after the fact that he’d been massively lied to before the marriage and yes she kept right on lieing after the marriage. He could not trust her.
I’d say grounds for divorce/annualment exist. The issue is that she lied about something she knew would have nixed the marriage if he had known the truth. It doesn’t matter what the something was. It could have been credit card debt for all I care.
Yes, trust. While I certainly wouldn’t care, he did, she knew he did, and she lied right up to the moment anyway. So..reasonable grounds. Also a good example of why a written contract might be best for this kind of permanent “merger”. Personally, I don’t see why she didn’t hit him with the old “lost it while riding a horse” or “doing gymnastics” ploys early on. He might have bought one of them if she had used it the first time he asked.
Her being a loving, caring person is irrelevant if one of his requirements was also that she be a virgin. His being a bastard should have been obvious to her when his insistence of her virginity first became known, so she only has herself to blame for that.
Against his religious beliefs has nothing to do with a state religion in this case…and his superstitions are his..to have and to hold, till death they do part…
#12–Shin==quite right. I remember a pre-marriage argument with my betrothed that came down to how we were to resolve our disagreements in the future==an “essential quality” I thought was for both of us to be reasonable in our demands.
She said “all the time?” but I didn’t take the hint.
Some lessons are hard learned.
Wasnt there so I dont really know what happened.
Hey if he didn’t know until his wedding night– it would seem at least he and she hadn’t gotten it on.
Perhaps she turned his pre-nuptial advances down, and played up the “fact” she was a virgin and that is what really p.o’d him when he found out the truth.
So who said she wasn’t a virgin? Lack of a hymen is not evidence of non-virginity. Becoming upset because a the destruction of a hymen was a prime requisite just shows the mentality of the idiot.
I don’t know but I assume this is an arranged marriage. And it will end up costing the husband much more than a divorce would have.
From Paris, hope:
http://goatmilk.wordpress.com/2008/06/12/becoming-muslim-virginsagain/