The increase in penalties for violations of the monogamy regime according to Decree 109/2026 (effective from May 18) is attracting many opinions in society.
According to new regulations, acts such as marrying or living as husband and wife with another person while having a family will be fined from 5-10 million VND, double compared to before.
Although the penalty level is adjusted to be tighter, the question is whether this number is really deterrent enough, or is the essence of the problem in the injuries that cannot be measured in money.
Many people believe that raising the penalty level is necessary to create clear legal boundaries.
Mr. Nguyen Hoang Tri (Hanoi) sees the new regulation as a warning mechanism, forcing insiders to consider before crossing the line.
If talking about adultery, the fine of a few million or suspended sentence that the law stipulates is very necessary, it is like a'brake' for people to know fear and stop. But in the end, when you have to go to court or use the law to resolve it, it is considered that everything has reached a difficult level to save," Mr. Tri emphasized.
From another perspective, Ms. Le Minh Anh (HCMC) believes that the fine amount is not a decisive factor.
According to her, raising the penalty level may make many people pay more attention to the legal consequences, but it cannot solve the root of the problem.
Conflicts in marriage often accumulate for a long time and when breakdown occurs, it is the result of many causes, not just a single violation.
Agreeing with this view, Mr. Mai Duc Long (Hanoi) believes that the biggest loss of adultery does not lie in money but in broken trust.
He said: "The money can be fined and then done, but the feeling of betrayal is not easy to erase. When trust is lost, reconciliation is almost impossible to return to the beginning. The people affected are not only husband and wife but also children and both families.
Reality shows that the consequences of adultery will lead to psychological effects, changes in the living environment of children, or pressure from public opinion... which are factors that cannot be quantified.
This is also the reason why many opinions believe that the fine is only for formality, while the largest "fine" comes from the consequences that insiders have to bear.
Ms. Pham Thu Trang (Hanoi) believes that the new regulation may contribute to raising awareness, but the consequences of adultery, "living together as husband and wife when married" cause severe and persistent damage.
The law only sets a minimum limit. And to maintain marriage, respect and responsibility from each person are still needed. If those things are no longer there, then no matter how much the penalty increases, it will be difficult to change the reality," Ms. Trang stated her opinion.
When a marital relationship is broken by betrayal, the price to pay does not stop at money or administrative penalty decisions. That is the collapse of trust.
Many families fall into separation, children are psychologically affected, those involved have to face a feeling of prolonged loss and these injuries are incalculable.
