France virgin case couple 'angry'

A French Muslim couple have opposed a government decision to contest a court ruling annulling their marriage because the bride lied about being a virgin.

Her lawyer has said she accepts the judgement of a court in Lille and simply wants to get on with her life.

The court granted the man's request for an annulment after ruling he had been tricked into the marriage.

It sparked an emotional debate and angered feminists who said it amounted to a fatwa against women's liberty.

According to media reports, the husband, an engineer in his thirties, married the trainee nurse in the summer of 2006, having been assured by her that she had never previously had a boyfriend.

Under the French civil code, a marriage can be annulled if a spouse has lied about an "essential quality" of the relationship.