Chinese Court Orders Woman to Return High Dowry in 'Flash Marriage' Scam

A recent case published by the Supreme People's Court of China has drawn widespread attention to the issue of "flash marriages" and the payment of high dowries. In this case, a woman named Sun was found to have been involved in multiple "flash marriages" within a short period, receiving high dowries each time, and the court ultimately ruled that she must return all the dowries she had received. Sun had married a man named Zhao in October 2020, just a month after they met, and received a dowry of 86,000 yuan. However, their marriage was short-lived, and they divorced in June 2021.

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28 February 2025

During their marriage, Sun had mostly lived with her parents and had not formed a stable life with Zhao. The court found that Sun had been involved in two other divorces in the past four years, and in each case, she had received a high dowry and had not formed a stable life with her husband. The court ruled that Sun's behavior was a clear case of using marriage as a means to obtain money, and therefore, she must return the entire dowry of 86,000 yuan to Zhao. This case has sparked heated discussions on social media, with many people expressing outrage at Sun's behavior and praising the court's decision.

The Supreme People's Court has emphasized that such behavior is unacceptable and that the court will crack down on those who use marriage as a means to obtain money. Similar cases have also been reported, including one where a man named Lin paid a marriage agency 170,000 yuan to find him a bride, but the marriage ended in divorce just a month later. The court ruled that the agency must return 150,000 yuan to Lin, as it had failed to provide a genuine marriage service.

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These cases highlight the need for stricter regulations on marriage agencies and the importance of protecting the rights of individuals who are seeking to get married. The court has emphasized that it will continue to crack down on those who use marriage as a means to obtain money and will work to protect the rights of individuals who are seeking to get married. The purpose of paying a dowry is not only to fulfill the legal requirement of registering a marriage but also, more importantly, to establish a long-term and stable marital relationship.

In this case, although Sun had registered her marriage with Zhao, the marriage lasted for a relatively short period, and Sun primarily resided at her parents' home, failing to establish a long-term and stable marital relationship with Zhao. Furthermore, considering the frequent quarrels between the couple over Sun's demands for money and her involvement in two previous divorce disputes, the court determined that she had indeed used marriage as a means to extort money.

The case has sparked a fierce debate in society, with many people condemning Sun's actions as a form of deception. The court's decision to order her to return the hefty bride price has been widely seen as a fair and reasonable verdict. Netizens have been vocal in their criticism of Sun's behavior, with many labeling it as a form of "marriage fraud." Some have expressed outrage that she was able to exploit multiple men in such a way, and argued that the court's punishment did not go far enough.

Others have called for a more nuanced approach, arguing that the court's decision highlights the need for clearer laws and regulations around marriage and divorce. They argue that the current system is too loose, allowing unscrupulous individuals to exploit loopholes and engage in unethical behavior. There have also been concerns raised about the impact of such cases on the institution of marriage as a whole. Some have argued that Sun's actions undermine the trust and commitment that underpin a healthy marriage, and that stronger laws are needed to protect the rights of all parties involved.

In response to the case, some lawmakers have begun to discuss the need for new legislation to tackle the issue of marriage fraud. They argue that the current laws are insufficient to deal with the complexities of modern relationships, and that a more comprehensive approach is needed to prevent similar cases arising in the future. Overall, the case has sparked a wide-ranging debate about the nature of marriage, the role of the law in regulating relationships, and the need for greater protections against exploitation and abuse. As the conversation continues, it is likely that we will see a renewed focus on strengthening the laws and social norms that govern marriage and relationships in China.


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央视新闻
央视新闻Fri Feb 28 10:09:25 +0800 2025
【#4年多次闪婚收高额彩礼被判返还#】今天,#最高法发布多起涉彩礼纠纷典型案例#。其中的一起案例显示:赵某(男)与孙某已办理结婚登记并给付彩礼8.6万元,后赵某提起离婚诉讼,以孙某将婚姻作为获取财物的手段为由,请求法院判决双方离婚、孙某返还全部彩礼。人民法院依职权调查后发现,孙某不仅在较短时间内多次“闪婚”、均接收较高数额彩礼、婚姻存续时间均较短,更重要的是,历次离婚诉讼中男方对于婚后双方无夫妻之实、孙某回娘家居住的共同生活状态等描述基本一致,结合孙某无法提供证据证明其对维系婚姻作出相应努力,人民法院据此认定孙某以彩礼为名借婚姻索取财物,判令解除婚姻关系,孙某返还全部彩礼8.6万元。根据涉彩礼纠纷司法解释第二条规定,一方以彩礼为名借婚姻索取财物,另一方请求返还的,人民法院应予支持。给付彩礼的目的除了办理结婚登记这一法定形式要件外,更重要的是双方形成长期、稳定的共同生活状态。本案中,虽然孙某已与赵某办理结婚登记,但婚姻关系存续时间较短,且孙某主要在娘家居住,双方未能形成长期、稳定的共同生活状态。同时,结合双方经常因孙某索要钱财发生争吵以及孙某之前所涉两次离婚纠纷的具体情况,人民法院认定其有通过婚姻索取财物的行为,判令其全额返还彩礼,再次明确禁止借婚姻索取财物的司法态度,维护正常的婚恋秩序。详→网页链接(总台央视记者张赛张明) Read more
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头条新闻
头条新闻Fri Feb 28 14:16:29 +0800 2025
【#女子频繁闪婚收彩礼无夫妻生活#被认定借婚姻索取财物】最高人民法院认真总结涉彩礼纠纷司法解释施行以来各地遇到的具体情况,结合人民群众反映较多的热点问题,今天发布第二批涉彩礼纠纷典型案例↓↓一起典型案例案情显示,2020年10月,赵某(男)与孙某经人介绍相识,同月双方登记结婚。赵某向孙某给付彩礼8.6万元,婚后未生育子女。2021年6月,赵某提起本案诉讼,主张孙某将婚姻作为获取财物的手段,请求判决双方离婚,由孙某返还全部彩礼,主要理由是:婚后孙某主要在娘家居住,双方共同生活时间不超过一个月,其间,因孙某一直主张身体不适无夫妻之实,双方还经常因孙某索要财物一事发生矛盾,2021年3月再次为此事争吵后,孙某回娘家不再与其联系。经法院查明,近4年内,孙某另外还有两段婚姻,均是与男方认识较短时间后便登记结婚,分别接收彩礼8万元、18万元。在两段婚姻所涉离婚诉讼中,男方均提到双方婚后不久即因钱财问题发生矛盾,之后孙某就回娘家居住,没有夫妻生活。审理法院认为,根据已查明的事实及当事人陈述,孙某在四年内就已涉及三起离婚纠纷,结婚仓促,婚姻关系维系时间短,且男方均表示,孙某收取了较高数额的彩礼,婚后双方只有夫妻之名,孙某在双方发生矛盾后即回娘家居住,没有继续与男方共同生活的意思表示。综合全部在案证据,可以认定孙某的行为属于以彩礼为名借婚姻索取财物。故判令解除婚姻关系,由孙某返还全部彩礼8.6万元。根据涉彩礼纠纷司法解释第二条规定,一方以彩礼为名借婚姻索取财物,另一方请求返还的,人民法院应予支持。给付彩礼的目的除了办理结婚登记这一法定形式要件外,更重要的是双方形成长期、稳定的共同生活状态。本案中,虽然孙某已与赵某办理结婚登记,但婚姻关系存续时间较短,且孙某主要在娘家居住,双方未能形成长期、稳定的共同生活状态。同时,结合双方经常因孙某索要钱财发生争吵以及孙某之前所涉两次离婚纠纷的具体情况,人民法院认定其有通过婚姻索取财物的行为,判令其全额返还彩礼,再次明确禁止借婚姻索取财物的司法态度,维护正常的婚恋秩序。(央视)极目新闻的微博视频#4年多次闪婚收高额彩礼被判返还# Read more
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