A court in French-Flanders annulled a marriage since the bride turned out not to be a virgin, report French newspaper Libération. The judges came to the conclusion that the bridegroom was deceived concerning an 'essential characteristic' of the bride, who had assured him before the wedding that she was still virgin.

The judges therefore decided to apply a law which is seldom used.

Both bride and groom are young French Muslims. "Completely not extremists," according to the groom's lawyer. The family of the bride had presented her as "single and chaste". The fraud was revealed when on the wedding night the groom could not show blood spots on the sheets to the feasting family. The groom's father brought the bride back to her parents.

The bride confessed that she had had sex before, and that she had concealed that fact since she was sure her boyfriend wouldn't marry her if she wasn't a virgin.

Marriages are seldom annulled retroactively in France. Law article 180 was formerly used if the bride kept silent about having worked as a prostitute or if somebody wasn't able to have sexual intercourse

Sources: Telegraaf (Dutch), Libération (French), h/t NRP (Dutch)

See also: Netherlands: High demand for "virgin pill", Netherlands: Restoring virginity (2), France: Regaining virginity, European Muslim women go to extremes to be virgins (again)

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