Woman married mentally ill man for residency

A woman who wed a mentally disabled man to obtain a residency permit has had her marriage annulled by the courts, Beijing Morning Post reports.

Haidian District Court in Beijing ruled the marriage between Zhang and Wang was invalid as Zhang was diagnosed with suffering from schizophrenia in February 2004.

Under China’s marriage laws people with serious mental disabilities can not marry unless they provide a medical certificate to prove they have recovered.

Zhang’s statutory agent Yang found the marriage license at his home in January 2012 and claimed due to his mental disability he was unable to comprehend the legal implications of marriage and applied to the courts.

Zhang claimed he married Wang in March 2011 to help her become a Beijing citizen.