A couple who claimed they were checking on their 15-year-old daughter’s well-being upon discovering she had a boyfriend have been prosecuted for coercing her into a virginity test with a gynecologist.
The young girl, whose identity is protected, testified that her father physically assaulted her in March 2025 upon learning about her relationship and then demanded the medical examination.
Public Prosecutor Sarah Huet from La Roche-sur-Yon, France, stated that the girl’s mother received a suspended three-month prison sentence for encouraging the minor to undergo a virginity test. The father faced charges for the same offense as well as failing in his parental duties, jeopardizing the child’s welfare.
The father, a professional boxer, also faced charges of non-injurious violence and was given a six-month suspended sentence with two years of probation. He defended his actions, claiming the test was a harmless precautionary measure to ensure the girl’s health.
The mother defended her husband’s actions, attributing his outburst to their daughter’s secretive behavior despite their trust in her.
According to Ms. Huet, the mere intention of the virginity test was sufficient for legal action, emphasizing that the use of force does not constitute acceptable parental discipline.
When informed of the impending test, the teenager reportedly experienced a panic attack and fainted.
Virginity tests are illegal in France, and the gynecologist declined to perform the procedure when contacted by the parents.
French President Emmanuel Macron criticized virginity tests as part of a broader initiative against what he termed “Islamist separatism” in February 2020, affirming that such practices have no place in the Republic.
The World Health Organization denounced virginity testing as unscientific, a violation of human rights, and potentially harmful to individuals subjected to it.
A coalition of French medical professionals condemned the practice as archaic, regressive, and deeply sexist, highlighting the societal persistence of virginity requirements in the modern era.