French court says marital sex 'duty', wife puts case to ECHR
An appeals court said the woman鈥檚 decision not to have sex with her husband constituted a violation of the obligations of marriage, making her solely responsible for their divorce
A woman has lodged a legal appeal with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) after French courts ruled that she had 鈥渧iolated鈥� her 鈥渕arital duties鈥� by not having sex with her husband.
In 2019, an appeals court in Versailles found the woman, 66, to be solely at fault in her divorce from her husband.
Its main grounds for this was the fact of her not having sex, as reported by her husband, which the court said constituted 鈥渁 serious and repeated violation of the obligations of marriage, making the maintenance of a shared life intolerable鈥� for him.
The ruling was approved by the Cour de cassation 鈥� one of four courts of last appeal in France, with jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters.
On March 17, two associations representing the woman said that she has now appealed to the ECHR to overturn the French ruling on the grounds of intrusion into her private life and violation of her physical integrity.
Marriage not 鈥榮exual servitude鈥�
The two associations representing the woman are la and le .
In , they said the 鈥渁rchaic鈥� ruling 鈥渄enied women the right to consent or not to sexual relations鈥� in marriage.
They said: 鈥�47% of the 94,000 rapes and attempted rapes per year [in France] are perpetrated by the spouse or ex-spouse of the victim.
鈥淢arriage should not mean sexual servitude.鈥�
The woman, who lodged her appeal with the ECHR on March 5, has remained anonymous.
She the French ruling as a miscarriage of justice, adding: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a sentence from another era.
鈥淚鈥檓 outraged.鈥�
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