annulment news stories on Newser

'Baby Bride' Wins Annulment

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:47:10 CDT

An Indian "baby bride" wedded at the age of 12 months to a 3-year-old groom has won an annulment of the marriage 17 years later. "I was unhappy about the marriage,” said Laxmi Sargara. “I told my parents, who did not agree with me, then I sought help." Child marriages...

Pope: Marriage Is Not a Right

Mark Russell — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 08:07:32 CST

Marriage isn't a God-given right and it's not just for any schmuck, Pope Benedict said yesterday in an annual speech to the Vatican's tribunal that rules on annulments. "No one can make a claim to the right to a nuptial ceremony," he said. The pontiff also urged priests to provide...

Ambassador to Dubai Annuls Marriage to Bearded Wife

Rob Quinn — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:08:33 CST

An Arab country's ambassador to Dubai had his marriage annulled after discovering he'd accidentally married a bearded, cross-eyed woman. The ambassador says his bride-to-be's face had been covered by a niqab throughout their courtship and he only discovered the beard when he went to kiss her at their wedding. He...

Saudi Preteen Seeks Divorce From 80-Year-old Husband

Mary Papenfuss — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:35:37 CST

A 12-year-old Saudi girl is seeking a divorce from her 80-year-old husband with the help of the state-run Human Rights Commission. The preteen was married last year to her elderly cousin against her and her mother's wishes in exchange for a $30,000 dowry. It's the first time the Saudi...

Make Annulments Tougher: Pope

Harry Kimball — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:51:47 CST

Pope Benedict wants Catholic Church tribunals to make marriage annulments more difficult to get. “We run the risk of falling into an anthropological pessimism which, in the light of today's cultural situation, considers it almost impossible to marry,” he said today. Marriage is stronger than people think, he said, and...

Saudi Child Bride's Marriage Annulled

Matt Cantor — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:27:00 CDT

The marriage of an eight-year-old Saudi girl to a man in his 50s that drew worldwide attention has been annulled in an out-of-court settlement, the BBC reports. A judge had twice denied the girl—reportedly married off by her father to pay a debt—a divorce. The case has led...

Virginity Lie Not Grounds for Annulment

Matt Cantor — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:02:01 CST

France has overturned a lower court decision annulling a Muslim couple’s marriage on grounds that the bride lied about being a virgin, the BBC reports. That means the couple is married again—whether they like it or not. Husband and wife both accepted the original decision, but it sparked a...

More Muslim Women Seeking Surgery to 'Restore' Virginity

Laurel Jorgensen — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:05:13 CDT

An increasing number of Muslim women in Europe, caught between the sexual freedom of the West and the traditions of their families, are undergoing hymenoplasty to "restore" their virginity after lapses, the New York Times reports. The surgery to repair the hymen, if done properly, won't be detected when brides...

French Judge Annuls Wedding Over Virgin Fib

Rob Quinn — Sat, 31 May 2008 09:31:22 CDT

A judge's decision to annul a Muslim wedding because the bride was not a virgin has caused outrage in France, the London Times reports. The groom emerged from the bedroom to complain about his bride while the wedding party was still going on and went to the judge the next...