The authors of the bill hope that it will be adopted before the beginning of summer. “Marriage should not be a closed space where consent to sexual relations is perceived as final and indefinite,” noted one of the co-authors, deputy Marie-Charlotte Garin, during the discussion.
Although the French Civil Code does not explicitly state the obligation to engage in sexual relations with a spouse, it mentions that “spouses must jointly lead a family life.” Sara Legrin, a deputy from the party “Unsubmissive France” and the initiator of the bill, believes that this wording could be interpreted by the court as “an obligation to share a bed.”
Sara Legrin explained that the aim of the new bill is “to prevent absurd interpretations of the Civil Code in divorce cases.” For instance, in 2019, the Versailles Court of Appeal ruled in favor of a husband who sought a divorce due to his wife’s refusal of sexual relations. Legrin added that the initiative is also aimed at combating marital rape.
