A court in Finland has dismissed a case against a man accused of rape after he married his alleged victim. The trial, which was being heard at the North Karelia District Court, dried up after the woman refused to give any evidence against her newlywed spouse. Read the full story

Iceland’s new marriage laws came into force yesterday, allowing same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples. Church services across the country yesterday celebrated the new law and marriage generally. Read the full story

Crown Princess Viktoria of Sweden today married her former fitness trainer, the commoner Olav Daniel Westling in a lavish ceremony in Stockholm. Read the full story

The National Church of Iceland yesterday took no formal position on a current parliamentary bill which would amend marriage laws to include gay couples. The national synod instead voted to refer the matter to the church’s doctrine and rites committee. Read the full story

English and Northern Irish bishops have snubbed an invitation to be present at the ordination of the next Bishop of Stockholm, Eva Brunne, due to her openly gay status. Read the full story

Swedish singles shelved the microwave meals as they geared up for the country’s Biggest Singles Party. Read the full story

The royal court of Sweden today announced that Her Royal Highness Princess Madeleine Therese Amelie Josephine has become engaged to Jonas Bergstrom, according to a press release issued by the royal court. The two have been a couple for almost eight years and it is believed that the reason that they have not been engaged before is that it would have been considered inappropriate for the princess to be engaged before her older sister, Crown Princess Victoria. Crown Princess Victoria confirmed her engagement to Daniel Westling in February. Read the full story

If a new law that’s currently on the table gets passed by Sweden’s government, homosexuals will be allowed to legally get married in the Church of Sweden beginning as early as May 2009. Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt confirmed to Swedish Radio that: “Sweden could have a gender neutral marriage law by May 1, 2009.” Read the full story

An Iraqi man was sentenced recently for forcing his 20 year old daughter to marry a cousin, and kidnapping her to take her back to Iraq in 2005.

The 50-year-old man came to Norway in 2004 as a refugee but fell foul of local marriage laws (tvangsgift) when trying to impose his cultural customs on his daughter, also a permanent resident of Norway.

The daughter, who was not named, testified in court about threats and violence if she did not follow her father’s orders. She had alerted authorities prior to a holiday trip back to Iraq in 2005, and when she did not return authorities became suspicious. She was eventually traced to Northern Iraq where she was safely recovered and repatriated.

Her father’s defence attorney claims the marriage between his daughter and her cousin was voluntary. “This is very difficult, both for himself and his family,” attorney Dagfinn Hodt told news bureau NTB.

It has emerged that some women in Denmark are having their virginity ‘restored’ at the expense of the healthcare system, to help make them more attractive as wives for culturally sensitive men.

Some municipalities have approved the use of state funds, by allowing local hospitals to perform hymen reconstruction surgery on women they believe would be discriminated against should it be found that they were not virgins on their wedding night. Most of the women are Muslims.

Dealt with on a case-by-case basis, the practice has evoked public outcry in some sectors and many hospitals are saying they will no longer support the operation with state funding.

Skejby hospital in Aarhus, as well as Rigshsospitalet and Odense Universitetshospital, have previously performed the operation, according to TV2 news.

‘It puzzles me that this can be done. The National Board of Health advises that cosmetic surgery on women’s genitalia is punishable by law. That to me would make it questionable as to whether rebuilding someone’s virginity is legal,’ Peter Hornnes, a gynaecologist at Hvidovre Hospital, told TV2 News.

According to gynaecologist Christina Felding the clinic she works for has carried out the reconstructive surgery on numerous occasions and the bill of 4500 kroner has been sent to the local council.