Judge annuls turbulent marriage

A judge yesterday annulled a turbulent marriage during which the man raped his wife's seven-year-old sister.

The man has just been released from jail after serving a 10-year sentence for the rape.

The couple had married in 1989 at the tender age of 18. In 1995, the man was accused of raping his sister-in-law and was convicted in 1999. The sentence was later confirmed by the Criminal Court of Appeal.

The court, hearing the annulment case, was told that the couple had a turbulent marriage and that the reason they married was because she had become pregnant. In 1991, they had a second child.

The woman told the court that shortly after the rape case emerged in 1995, his family started to treat her very badly. She wanted a separation but her father persuaded her not to go through with it even though she refused to sleep in the same bed as her husband.

Mr Justice Noel Cuschieri yesterday ruled it was evident that the husband had not recognised the importance of marriage along with its rights and obligations and his young age might have played a part in this. He had shown a serious lack of judgement in his married life.

The marriage was therefore annulled.