A Family Court has granted divorce to a Maltese woman whose husband had abandoned her after she found out he was already married and had four children.

Magistate Abigail Lofaro heard how the couple wed on 22 July 2002 and went to live at her parents’ house. The two had “compatibility” problems since they followed different religions. In September of the same year the woman found out that her husband had a wife and four children in Libya.

A huge row erupted when the woman told her parents about her husband’s secret life and she confronted him. The man left their home that same day without telling his wife where he was staying.

The woman told the court that she bumped into him on a couple of occasions and suggested that they separate but the man would have none of it.

Then, in 2007, she filed for separation. The man signed the separation papers and the two have not seen each other since. The woman has four children and now lives together with them and her partner. The first child was born in 2000 but the other three were born after 2004. She also told the court that she had a job and was self-sufficient.

More recently she requested divorce. She claimed that her married life had become impossible because of adultery, threats and insults. The marriage broke down because the man had completely abandoned her.

The court said it had no proof to the contrary from the husband and had no reason to doubt the testimony given by the woman. It said the man had effectively abandoned his wife after a few weeks of marriage and this stemmed from her discovery about his secret life.

Noting that the couple had been separated for more than four years with no hopes of reconciling, the court granted divorce.

Lawyers Joseph Ellis and Legal Procurator Joeline Pace Ciscaldi appeared for the man, who was absent throughout the proceedings.