The marriage between a Maltese woman and a foreign man has been annulled by the court after revelations that she had never met the man before and had actually married him while under the influence of drugs. 

The Times of Malta reports how the couple first got married in November 2002, a period when the woman was battling serious drug addiction. 

A friend suggested the idea of the marriage, with the foreigner keen on applying for citizenship in the country. She was on drugs while at the wedding. The first time they ever met was at the Registry Office in Valletta.

The newlyweds only met a few times after the ceremony – to attend meetings at the Immigration Office. However, the man’s application was denied once the officer realised the pair barely knew each other.

The couple never saw each other again. They never lived together and never consummated their marriage.

Eventually, the woman was able to recover from addiction in 2010 and has since had a child with her new partner, who she wishes to marry.

Madam Justice Jacqueline Padovani Grima observed that the circumstances surrounding the marriage were “peculiar”, noting that the woman had been coerced into the marriage amid a highly vulnerable situation. She agreed with the request.

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