Kentucky: Child marriage ban delayed after opposition from conservative group
Under current law, 16 and 17-year-olds can marry with their parents’ permission. Any age under 16 can also get wed, as long as they are pregnant and marrying the father of their child.
A new bill that would prohibit anyone aged 16 or under from marrying and prevent any 17-year old from tying the knot without the approval of a judge, who would have to be convinced that the minor is mature, self-sufficient and not being coerced into marriage.
More than 200,000 children married in US over the last 15 years
Three 10-year-old girls and an 11-year-old boy were among the youngest to wed, under legal loopholes which allow minors to marry in certain circumstances.
The minimum age for marriage across most of the US is 18, but every state has exemptions – such as parental consent or pregnancy – which allow younger children to tie the knot.
Kids don't stand a chance!
view the rest of the comments →
pimpinainteasy ago
Most of the child marriages also happen disproportionately in poor, rural areas of states that are predominately CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN in nature...
scarlettm512 ago
Primarily because they feel that if a girl gets pregnant, the boy has to marry her. In other parts of the country, they don't bother getting married -- the "baby daddy" just hangs around as long as he wants to cuts out when he is tired of playing house.