Boomerang

Last month a judge in Lille, France, annulled a mariage "because of an error regarding the essential qualities of the spouse" - to wit, the wife lied about being a virgin. The case, which is the first of its kind, has stirred up a storm of controversy. Silehm Habchi, president of the group "Ni putes ni soumises' that fights for the rights of Muslim women, said "we have been betrayed by our own justice system, which is issuing a veritable fatwa against women's freedom."

The law applied in this case has primarily been used to annul 'forced marriages.' For 2004, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 745 marriages were annulled. Some 60% of the cases were initiated by public prosecutor, usually due to lack of consent on the part of one of the partners.

I'm unfamiliar with the French justice system, so don't know if this case can or will be appealed.

Thanks to Joe for sending me the link.