FULL TEXT: MOSCOW, Russia, Oct. 23.— Moscow courts have just passed severe sentences on three women, an “alimony widow” and two female accomplices for fraudulent use of the statute requiring the father of a child to pay one-third of his salary to its support.
The court, taking note of the increasing popularity of the
form of fraud, announced that strict steps would be taken hereafter to protect
the right of the helpless male population.
The number of so-called “alimony widows” in the Soviet Union
has become legion. As the government newspaper, “Izvestia,” says, “They are
constantly on the increase. It seems that with them it has become a sort of
sport as well as business, a sort of life entertainment.”
~ Live In Luxury. ~
There are women who have five or six children, each from a
different father.
But all the fathers have to pay the wife one-third of their
wages for the support of the child. Such an alimony widow lives in luxury.
The three women recently sentenced, however, came to grief
by being too greedy. Maria Sukhomlina was married to a poor man.
When their first child came, Maria, envying the affluence of
certain friends of hers who had learned the trick of becoming “alimony widows,”
determined to choose a richer father for her baby than its real one was.
She picked on a wealthy neighbor, Mr. Vorovsky, a merchant.
True, Mr. Vorovsky as a matter of fact had never seen her, but Maria knew I how
to attend to that. She conferred with two of her women friends and told them
her plan.
~ Hatched Plot. ~
“If I can get the court to recognize Mr. Vorovsky as the
baby’s father, he will have to pay me at least 100 roubles a month, and out of
that sum I will buy you both new dresses.”
With this inducement, the two agreed to swear to their
personal knowledge of her “affair” with Mr. Vorovsky.
The latter, completely dumbfounded at the charge, defended
himself vigorously, and when the court, finding him guilty, ordered him to pay
alimony, lie refused and was sent to jail.
A month passed, and since Maria had no money with which to
fulfill her promises to her friends, they grew disgruntled, and finally, with
very little show of caution for their own interests, “squealed” to the
authorities.
Maria and her two friends were arrested, Mr. Vorovsky was
released, and the three women were sentenced to serve two years in jail.
[“Rich Russian Saved From Alimony Fraud - Women Get
Punishment For Deceit - Defendant Claimed Wealthy Man Was Father Of Her Child.
- 2 Witnesses Confess Plot – Many Widows Throughout Soviet are Living in
Luxury.” Syndicated (INS), El Paso Herald (Tx.), Oct. 23, 1926, p. 1]
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For related articles see: "A Dictatorship of the Eternal Woman Has Been Declared": The Soviet Alimony Racket - 1927
[1545-2/19/22]
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