A child bride from Colorado recently came out to be interviewed, urging the state of Colorado to reconsider the age to wed. She herself was married at the age of 14 to a man who was 34 years old. A twenty year age gap between a man and, really a child, is quite alarming. The gap was so alarming, in fact, that state lawmakers banned minors from entering into common-law marriages in the year of their marriage in 2006. Ceremonial marriages were never addressed, though. So there have been over 2,200 underage marriages since 2006.

The fourteen year old’s thirty-four year old husband was put in jail for sexual assault, which was not overruled by their marriage because a judge deemed it illegal. While they had parental consent for the marriage, they apparently did not have a judge’s approval according to police and court records. The wife claims that she wishes she had never gone through with the marriage and stated that no one knows what they want or what love is at the age of fourteen. Eighteen should be the age limit for marrying, she encouraged.

The <Organization> has a set a goal of the year 2030 by which all child marriages should be illegal. While perhaps not all underage marriages are for sexual assault reasons or human trafficking, the ban will certainly help eliminate a vast number of cases where it is the underlying motive for the union. Even while wed, sexual assault is illegal, just as domestic violence is. If you are in an underage or adult marriage and experiencing abuse of any degree, do not wait for things to escalate. The child bride mentioned here mentioned wanting to file for a divorce years later. For all questions related to divorce and/or domestic violence or abuse, please do not hesitate to call <Organization> today.