There was apparently a major dry spell going on with a French couple. The husband cited not having sex for the reason for filing for divorce. On Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights backed the wife unanimously by determining that refusing to have sex is not grounds for divorce.
Perhaps the most ridiculous thing about all of this is that it was nearly a decade long. The divorce was filed in 2012, with both sides agreeing to it, but the woman, who is now 69, was not in support of the grounds on which France filed the divorce. In the original ruling, the blame for divorce was literally because she wouldn’t have sex with her husband.
Her side of the case said the husband chose the career of their family—they had four kids together—and the relationship became abusive. That’s when the husband leaned into the absence of sex tactic while also arguing for defamation.
There were multiple appeals against the ruling filed by her, but in 2019, the French court approved the divorce but ruled she was at fault for a breach of marital duty in not sleeping with her husband.
Husband Tries to Blame Divorce On Lack of Sex, Fails Dismally
With Thursday’s ruling, the European Court of Human Rights clears her name of that ridiculous claim while overruling the country’s decision to blame the woman. Nothing changes for the former couple—they remain divorced—but the decision now removes the ridiculous determination that the split was 100% her fault.
A statement from the court per the Associated Press, “The Court considered that the reaffirmation of the principle of marital duties and the fact that the divorce had been granted on the grounds that the applicant had ceased all sexual relations with her husband amounted to interferences with her right to respect for private life, her sexual freedom and her right to bodily autonomy.”
The woman’s lawyer, Lilia Mhissen, released a statement as well, noting that she hopes this marks “a turning point in the fight for women’s rights in France.”
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