Moroccan Court Orders Husband to Return Home in Landmark Ruling

Women can now file a complaint against their deserting husbands, demand their return to the marital home, and obtain a favorable ruling. This judgment, handed down by a court in Marrakech, following an appeal by a woman, will set a precedent, as until now only men had initiated such a procedure, reports Al Massae.

The grounds of the judgment blame the husband for having left the marital home when marriage implies duties that each of the two spouses must fulfill, in particular cohabitation under the same roof, the responsibility they share (managing the family home and ensuring the education of the children).

However, the court did not follow up on a request from the wife. She had asked the judge to order a daily penalty to compel her husband to strictly respect the judgment. For the judge, this penalty is not necessary. Especially since he is now obliged to return to the marital home.

Any father or mother who has left the family home for two months, in the absence of force majeure, while refusing to fulfill his duties towards his children, will be accused of the offense of abandonment of family, details the grounds of the judgment. In this case, the offender faces a prison sentence, a fine and damages to be paid to the plaintiffs.