abandonment

Mrs. Lesia filed an application for relief against her husband, alleging that he abandoned his family, abused her, and was attempting to sell their home without her consent. She alleged that she built and paid for the home, and so sought to have her husband enjoined from selling it. The court issued an interim order granting the requested relief. The defendant disregarded the court order, continued his efforts to sell the home, and threatened to kill Mrs.

The Second Superior Court for the Protection of Children and Adolescents in Caracas granted a woman’s petition for divorce, which she based on her husband’s voluntary abandonment for more than five years under Article 185 of the Venezuelan Civil Code. The husband sought constitutional review, leading the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice to interpret Article 185.