A ‘vengeful’ French judge has been accused of staging a fake wedding between her and a man impersonating her former partner to stop him marrying a new love interest.
Souad Meslem, 58, a chief judge in Colombes, a suburb of West Paris, has been charged with fraud for using official documents to arrange a sham marriage on the island of Réunion, a French department in the Indian Ocean.
The ‘vengeful’ judge was suspended from her post, which involved passing judgement on criminal proceedings, in the wake of the allegations.
Meslem discovered in 2017 that her long-term partner, who is a lawyer and father of their son, had been having an affair with another lawyer, the sister of Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, the former French Education Minister.
Souad Meslem (pictured in an undated photograph), 58, a chief judge in Colombes, a suburb of West Paris, has been charged with fraud for using official documents to arrange a sham marriage on the island of Réunion, a French department in the Indian Ocean
In another twist in the love triangle, Meslem had been providing legal advice to Vallaud-Belkacem at the time.
Three years ago, Meslem relocated to the island of Réunion for a new role as a senior prosecutor, but her former partner, who has not been named, did not follow.
Instead, he stayed behind with his new girlfriend, leaving Meslem feeling hurt and betrayed, Le Parisien reported.
In the months following her relocation, she built up a reputation as an aggressive prosecutor, and recruited a friend to impersonate her ex.
The phony ceremony was intended to nullify any future attempts for him to marry his new partner.
The marriage was officiated in March 2019 in front of Gilbert Annette, mayor of St Denis, who was unaware of Meslem’s ploy.
During the ceremony, Meslem handed over her former partner’s ID and birth certificate to Annette.
Locator map of Réunion island where the sham marriage took place
Meslem discovered in 2017 that her long-term partner, who is a lawyer and father of their son, had been having an affair with another lawyer, the sister of Najat Vallaud-Belkacem (pictured in 2017), a cabinet minister
According to Le Journal de L’Ile de la Réunion: ‘No one noticed either that the groom did not look exactly like the photo on his identity papers.’
Meslem returned to Naterre in Paris in September last year and began to demand she be known by her new married name.
Local media reported that the lawyer ‘was stunned’ when he found out he was a husband but hadn’t agreed to be one.
Meslem was arrested in December with her daughter from a previous marriage, who was a witness to the illegal marriage.
A n undated file photo shows the Mayor of Saint-Denis de la Reunion Gilbert Annette on the French Reunion island, Indian Ocean. The marriage was officiated in March 2019 in front of Gilbert Annette, mayor of St Denis, who was unaware of Meslem’s ploy
The judge was charged with the fraudulent use of official papers by someone in public office, which can carry a sentence of 15 years.
The ‘groom’ from the sham ceremony was also seized.
Local media reported that the case has stunned the legal profession. People who knew Meslem claim she was heartbroken after being shunned by her former partner.
‘What’s crazy is that this scheme was bound to fail. It was obvious that she was going to get caught,’ The Times reported one of Meslem’s colleagues saying. ‘This looks like social suicide.’
The judge was bailed pending a trial date.