Lawmakers in America are battling to overturn some of the country's most archaic laws, which stipulate that children as young as 12 can be married.

In the state of Virginia, it is officially still legal for girls as young as 12 or 13 to be brought to a courthouse with evidence of a pregnancy and wed, a practice that has come under increased scrutiny thanks to the Virginia Senator Jill Vogel R-Fauquier.

Legislation she introduced, which is now moving through the Virginia General Assembly, seeks to raise the minimum age for marriage to 16 to bring it in line with other states - and similar moves are under way in Maryland and New York, where 3,853 minors were married between 2000 and 2010, according to State Health Department data published in the New York Times.

In Virginia itself, according to state health statistics, more than 4,500 minors were married between 2000 and 2013, including about 220 who were 15 or younger.

And a separate Statista chart plotting the minimum legal age of marriage for girls worldwide reveals that the US is one of the lowest on record, with several places - including Massachusetts - allowing girls as young as 12 to be wed with the consent of a judge.

It is matched only by Saudi Arabia and Yemen, where age of consent for marriage ranges between nine and 13 years old.

“It’s rarely the case that the 13-year-old is marrying a 17-year-old,” Ms Vogel told Washington Top News.

”It’s more often the case that it is a child marrying somebody decades older than they are."

Ms Vogel pointed out that often, young women who go on to be abused in early marriages are not old enough to go to court to get a protection order - and aren't even old enough to drive.

She said officials should be looking out for what's in the child's best interests - not handing out marriage licenses.

“Someone should be asking the question, ‘Well if this 13-year-old is pregnant, isn’t that evidence of statutory rape?’" Ms Vogel said. "Is that not a crime? They are truly victims in every way.

"There is currently no minimum age for marriage in the Commonwealth.

In the UK legal consent can be given as young as 16 - as long as it's with parental consent.

In July last year, the Spanish government announced it was to raise the marriage age from 14 to 16 to bring it into line with the rest of Europe.

Estonia now has the lowest marriage age in Europe with teenagers able to wed at 15 with parental approval.

Globally, the average legal age of marriage for boys is 17 and 16 for girls but many countries permit them, particularly girls, to marry much younger.

According to the campaign group Girls Not Brides, one in three women in the developing world are said to be married before they turn 18.

genieplus86:
Unbelievable ! . Source please

Underage Marriage in Virginia
The basics of Virginia's marriage age requirement laws are listed in the table below. See State-by-State Marriage "Age of Consent" Laws
for a comparison.
Code Section 20-48, 49
Minimum Legal Age With Parental Consent
Male: 16; Female: 16
Minimum Legal Age Without Parental Consent
Male: 18; Female: 18
Comments
Parental consent not required if minor was emancipated. Minors under 16 may obtain license in case of pregnancy or birth of child with parental consent and proof of pregnancy from a doctor.

Underage Marriage in Virginia
Virginia marriage law allows minors to marry with parental permission. If either future spouse is age sixteen or seventeen, they may marry with a parent's permission. Children fifteen and younger may not marry, even with parental consent. However, a pregnant minor or parent under the age of sixteen may obtain a marriage license with parental consent and proof of pregnancy from a doctor

Nbote:
It's quite clear U want to justify child marriage in d north by comparing same in d US. U do realise d Internet is jus one click away to verify facts but u yet u decided to intentional misinform ppl by posting Wat suits ur intents.. Anyway here's d Virginia's stance on child(minors) marriages




clearly explained here



here's d link
http://statelaws.findlaw.com/virginia-law/virginia-marriage-age-requirements-laws.html

Oh and here's a state by state age of Consent as regards child marriages..
http://family.findlaw.com/marriage/state-by-state-marriage-age-of-consent-laws.html

Minors are minors and there's nothing ur religion or culture can say to justify it... D look on d faces of these child brides says it all...

samincredible44:
some northern bastard/pedophiles will be happy now

DaudaAbu:


So it seems

Its not jst Nigerian issue afterall

Nbote:
It's quite clear U want to justify child marriage in d north by comparing same in d US. U do realise d Internet is jus one click away to verify facts but u yet u decided to intentional misinform ppl by posting Wat suits ur intents.. Anyway here's d Virginia's stance on child(minors) marriages




clearly explained here



here's d link
http://statelaws.findlaw.com/virginia-law/virginia-marriage-age-requirements-laws.html

Oh and here's a state by state age of Consent as regards child marriages..
http://family.findlaw.com/marriage/state-by-state-marriage-age-of-consent-laws.html

Minors are minors and there's nothing ur religion or culture can say to justify it... D look on d faces of these child brides says it all...

U shld also visit dis link...
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jul/08/child-marriage-forced-minors-virginia-law

Jodha:
See the old fool.. See as him dey smile like mumu... Poor girl... Chai... This should stopped now.. I don't understand what this world is turning into..

Child that should be playing hide and seek at home...
If this is the case then 12 years old boys should be married off to old women too..

lefulefu:
thanks for clearing up the issue