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A court in Henan province has annulled a marriage after a man discovered that his wife had hidden significant medical information, including a history of schizophrenia and a hysterectomy, before their union.
The man, identified by the surname Zhou, met his wife through a matchmaker in September 2023. She was seven years his senior, and the relationship progressed quickly. Zhou paid a bride price of 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) in October, followed by an additional 40,000 yuan when they registered their marriage on October 30. The couple held a wedding ceremony in November.
However, shortly after marriage, Zhou noticed irregularities in his wife’s behavior. Concerned, he investigated and discovered that she had previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia, a fact she and her family had concealed. To his shock, he also learned that she had undergone a hysterectomy, making it impossible for her to have children.
Feeling deceived, Zhou filed a lawsuit with the Jiaxian County People’s Court, seeking to annul the marriage. The court ruled in his favor, emphasizing that individuals have a duty to disclose critical health information before marriage. The wife did not contest the annulment.
Unlike divorce proceedings, an annulment reverts a person’s marital status to “single” in the government’s resident registration system, as if the marriage never occurred. It remains unclear whether Zhou was refunded the 50,000 yuan bride price.
The case has drawn significant attention online, with many expressing sympathy for Zhou. One commenter remarked, “They married after knowing each other for less than two months. It’s clear he was looking for a reproductive partner but ended up marrying a woman without a womb. What a poor man!”
Others questioned why the wife faced no legal consequences for her deception. “Isn’t this fraud? Why hasn’t she been charged?” another user asked.
Source: SCMP
