Taiwanese Husband Allowed to Divorce Wife Who Showers Only Once a Year

January 9, 2018

In a landmark case in Taiwan, a husband successfully divorced his wife for her allegedly terrible hygiene.

The now ex-wife, identified only by her surname Lin, reportedly bathed only once a year and brushed her teeth or washed her hair only when she felt like it, according to Taipei Times.

On Thursday, the unnamed plaintiff got his petition for divorce granted by the New Taipei City District Court after claiming psychological torture caused by Lin’s unsanitary habits. The husband noted that when they were still going out, she only took showers once a week. While he was able to accept such behavior, he was disappointed that her habits got worse after their marriage.

Initially put off for one month at a time, her bath schedules became even rarer as their relationship went on. Lin’s unhygienic habits prevented the couple from having children for a decade as they only had sex once a year. According to the husband, while Lin did not have a job, she also convinced him to stay at home as well and instead cook for his father-in-law, who had a physical disability.

“I had an opportunity to work as a building security guard,” the man said. However, Lin forbade him from taking the job which she thought was “demeaning.”

The man said his mother-in-law paid for their daily expenses, but without any other source of income, the pair remained poor. He was able to move out of the house in late 2015 and found himself a job in Hsinchu. He only decided to file for divorce after his wife suddenly showed up at his new job demanding that he quit.

Lin, who opposed the divorce, stated that her husband’s accusations were lies and that her parents actually treated him like a son. She said she looked for her husband after he failed to return her calls.

The court granted the divorce noting that the pair could not find a common ground on work, family chores and hygiene. As the two had been separated for about two years, the judge has deemed that there was no way the marriage could work.

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