French woman marries dead fiancé

Becomes wife and widow, simultaneously

By Lester Haines • Get more from this author

Posted in Bootnotes, 16th November 2009 12:31 GMT

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A French woman earned the rare distinction over the weekend of becoming a wife and widow at the same moment, when she married her dead fiancé.

Magali Jaskiewicz , 26, got hitched on Saturday to a portrait of Jonathan Goerge in the town of Dommary-Baroncourt. The pair had originally planned to tie the knot in January this year, but two days after they registered their intention at the town hall in December 2008, Jonathan was killed in a road accident.

This apparently terminal impediment to the union didn't deter Jaskiewicz, who decided to take advantage of "the possibility of posthumous marriage under specific circumstances", viz: that French law is satisified the evidence shows "unequivocally the intention of both to marry".

In this case, Goerge and Jaskiewicz had been together for five years, and had two young daughters. Dommary-Baroncourt's mayor, Christophe Caput*, explained: “Magali’s file was rock-solid, including the fact that the couple lived together for five years, had children and had already picked a date to be married. The bride had even already bought her wedding dress."

With town hall support, Jaskiewicz made an official request, which French prez Nicolas Sarkozy approved in September.

Following the civil ceremony, Caput noted: “Magali became a widow today at her wedding." Unsurprisingly, the widowed bride admitted: "I'm not really in the mood for celebrating."

France 24 has a video report on the marriage here. ®