Spanish Court Grants Pensions to Both Widows of Moroccan Polygamist Veteran

The Spanish Supreme Court has just agreed that two widows of a Moroccan polygamist receive the widow’s pension after his death. The argument is that polygamy, although prohibited in Spain, is legal in Morocco and the two women have a legitimate marriage with the deceased.

This Moroccan is said, according to the Diariopatriota website, to have served in the Spanish army in the Sahara and, after his retirement, to have received a retirement pension from the Spanish state.

The two women are said to have traveled to Morocco after their husband’s death to claim this pension. But the first response would have been a refusal, from the Ministry of Defense, arguing that polygamy is prohibited in Spain and is even punishable by 2 to 5 years in prison. But the justice system, to which the two women turned after this refusal, had a contrary opinion.

Based on an international convention signed by Morocco and Spain, the courts ruled: "it is sufficient that the marriage be valid in Morocco for the women to receive the widow’s pension in Spain, by dividing the allowance in two." The site talks about a "loophole in the legislation" because according to it "the two women were committing a crime."

A half-pension therefore...