Marlene Schiappa, French minister with responsibility for citizenship, protested and wrote a harsh letter to the president of the CSA, the supervisory commission on public audiovisuals, for the topics covered and the images shown on TV during a reality documentary entitled 'Incredible marriages gitani ', on the TFX broadcaster
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The scenes in question concerned the so-called 'handkerchief ceremony' at some gypsy communities in the south of the country, a practice aimed at demonstrating the virginity of future brides.
The minister says she is "scandalized" in the letter for the filmed scenes of the traditional gypsy ceremony during which the young bride undergoes a virginity test in the presence of married women from her circle. "The whole republican institution of marriage is ridiculed in this program", writes Schiappa, in which the scene is shown "without adequate background commentary".
"This practice is described as the real moment of marriage, in defiance of republican laws", adds Schiappa, recalling that the scenes broadcast are "all the more revolting" since last February the Assemblée Nationale voted, in the context of the law against separatism, the obligation of the consent of the spouses and the prohibition of virginity tests ".