Widower receives apology after Australia fails to recognize marriage following husband’s death

“Nigel said they just wouldn’t speak to Marco and kept saying he was David’s partner, not husband”.

David Bulmer-Rizzi, 32, died after falling down the stairs and cracking his skull while on honeymoon with husband Marco Bulmer-Rizzi in Adelaide.

The Bulmer-Rizzis, both British citizens, registered their marriage in South London in June 2015 after five years together.

Same-sex marriages registered overseas are not recognised in South Australia – a legislative oversight that the state’s premier, Jay Weatherill, has given Bulmer-Rizzi his word will be amended in law.

Marco was told the death certificate would state “never married” and he would not be recognised as next of kin.

Marco added, as far as the government of Australia is concerned, “I’m nothing”.

“I can confirm they are most definitely married”, she wrote, stating she gave a speech at the couple’s wedding. “If I didn’t get on with my in-laws, I don’t know that I would have any rights”, Mr Bulmer-Rizzi told Buzz Feed.

Weatherill had called Bulmer-Rizzi on Wednesday night to apologise for the “awfully insensitive” way in which he had been treated and promised to pursue the possibility of reissuing David’s death certificate with the correct marital status.

‘An interim measure would be the recognition of same-sex marriages in South Australian and federal law in the same way they are already recognised in Tasmania, Victoria, NSW and Queensland, ‘ national director Rodney Croome said. As a result, David’s death certificate read “never married” because “saying nothing…is not one of the drop down option on the computer”.

“The important thing for me was the commitment that David and Marco had made to each other. Grief is bad enough without being reminded that your loved one is seen by some others as some sort of second-class human being”.

Getting some closure… Marco gets David’s ashes today.

After the news drew ire from around the world and within Australia, including a campaign by activist group GetUp!

“When I met David, that was the most important day of my life, but the wedding was … changing, defining, empowering, happy”, Marco said.

South Australia was the first state in the country to decriminalise homosexual acts in the 1970s. Weatherill said at the time he would begin implementing changes immediately.

“For people who say this is merely symbolic, this is an example of the kind of hurt it can cause when people are disrespected”, he said. “We have been 100% behind Marco, he is our family”.

For Marco, the support he’s received since David’s death just days ago has been overwhelming. It really is degrading and humiliating and an example of the cruel nature of this element of Australian law, ‘ Senator Robert Simms said. “It shows why Federal Parliament needs to legislate for marriage equality and bring Australia into line with countries like the United Kingdom”.

Never forgotten… David Bulmer-Rizzi in Santorini, Greece. “Then they took him to the hospital where I was warned it was critical and that if I needed to phone family that wanted to fly to Australia it was probably appropriate”.

Bulmer-Rizzi has accepted this.