A couple in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, thought they would spend the rest of their lives together after officially becoming husband and wife.
However, that dream was shattered six years into the marriage following a shocking discovery of their family ties, resulting to the dissolvement of their union.
Discovered they were cousins
According to a report by ET Today, the couple tied the knot on Oct 31, 2018 and were said to have a loving and stable relationship.
However, little did they know that their marriage would be unraveled by a review of their household registration records, where the husband discovered that his grandmother and his wife’s grandmother were biological sisters born to the same set of parents.
In other words, this meant that the couple were second cousins, which is commonly known as within the sixth degree of kinship.
Marriage brought to an end
Under Article 983 of Taiwan’s Civil Code, relatives within the sixth degree of kinship are not allowed to marry each other and such relationships are considered to be void in the eyes of the law.
The husband later filed a petition to the court to confirm that the marriage was null as it affected their legal marital status — including inheritance, maintenance, and other rights. His wife also agreed to dissolve the union.
The Taiwan Kaohsiung Juvenile and Family Court later ruled that based on the household registration transcripts, the couple were indeed related within the sixth degree.
As such, the court ruled in August 2025 that the marriage was invalid after going through the couple’s joint petition and evidence.
Both of them also relinquished their right to file an appeal, thus making the court decision final and sealing the end of their marriage.
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