A French court has ruled that couples are not bound to fidelity by the civil code, and that a website encouraging extra-marital dating is free to keep advertising that “Being faithful to two men means you are twice as faithful.”
The Associations of Catholic Families, which sued to have the ads banned, was ordered to pay €2000 in court costs. Their lawyer has said they will appeal.
Adultery has not been a crime in France since 1975, but the Code Civile calls for “mutual respect, fidelity, help and assistance between spouses.” The suit claimed that the website was an incitement to disrespect.
There’s an economic side to the issue, too: The website points out that “Contrary to using anti-depressants, a lover costs the Social Security system nothing.”
