The Banciao District Court yesterday ruled against a wife in New Taipei City (新北市) who had filed for divorce over what she said were serious violations of her privacy by her mother-in-law, who often unlocked the door of the married couple’s bedroom at midnight to check “if they were asleep.”
In its ruling, the court said such interference by the mother-in-law was well-intentioned, done out of care and did not cause unbearable suffering to the body or mind.
The mother-in-law has also agreed to move out, which would settle the dispute, the ruling said.
The wife, surnamed Huang (黃), married her husband, surnamed Tseng (曾), in 2007. They have two children.
The couple originally resided in Taichung before moving to New Taipei City in 2010, the verdict said.
After the couple moved back, Huang began noticing that her mother-in-law would unlock the bedroom door to check on her and her husband at night, which she described as a “severe invasion of her privacy.”
The behavior of the mother-in-law did not cease, despite Huang making a number of objections.
Tseng rejected Huang’s accusations against his mother, saying he had proposed that his mother move to southern Taiwan, while his wife turned down the idea over concerns that their neighbors would judge them for sending her away.
Chan Chu Li-li (詹朱麗麗), the owner of a matchmaking Web site, said that in order to maintain an amiable atmosphere among family members, it is essential that mutual understanding and tolerance be part of the equation, especially between mothers and their sons’ wives.
Translated by Stacy Hsu, Staff writer
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