It is a well-known fact that adultery is a crime punishable by death in certain Muslim countries.
Yet few expats living in Jalisco may realize that the state prohibits extra-marital affairs and the law – if followed strictly to the letter – can warrant a prison sentence of up to two years.
Nevertheless, this is set to change as the outdated penal code is set to be revised to prevent such a situation ever arising.
The original law states that an aggrieved person could make an official complaint to the police if their spouse had been unfaithful. “The sentence for men or women having sexual relations knowing that one or other is married shall be 15 days to two years in prison,” states existing law.
Although this archaic law has not been enforced for many years, legislation is now pending that will strike it from the penal code.
“The decriminalization of adultery should not be understood as a free pass for married people to betray each other,” said state congressman Augusto Valencia. “But this behavior is a civil matter.”