Florida Senate passes bill to ban child marriage

Believe it or not, child marriages still exist and Florida is trying to take a major step to end them for good.

The state Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday that would ban the marriage of anyone under the age of 18 in Florida.

But not everyone is willing to outlaw them – completely.

When the House version of the legislation went to a vote Thursday, a committee approved exceptions for 16 and 17-year-olds in cases of pregnancy if their partner is no more than two years older than the minor.

In the House’s amended exception, a doctor would have to confirm the pregnancy, and that the male is the father. The parents would also have to consent.

The woman who initially inspired the Senate bill – Sherry Johnson – was 11 when she was forced to marry her 20-year-old rapist and has worked for six years to try and change the state’s marriage laws.

It was her case, along with two others, that inspired Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, to file the bill.

Under current law, Florida doesn’t allow anyone under the age of 18 to independently consent to marriage and teens aged 16 and 17 can marry with the consent of both of their parents.

However, if a pregnancy is involved, there is no minimum age for marriage as long as a judge approves the marriage license.

That’s what happened in Johnson’s case. Her rapist was a church deacon, and because she got pregnant, Johnson, who is now 58, said the church pressured her mother to consent to the marriage and a judge eventually approved it.

According to a report by The News-Press, between 2010 and 2016, 3,161 children – 72 of them under the age of 16 – were married in Florida, according to state Department of Health statistics. At least one child was married in every one of Florida’s 67 counties, and in some cases the spouse was at least twice the minor’s age, the outlet reports.

A House bill has its final committee stop Thursday before it can be considered by the full chamber.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

This story was originally published February 1, 2018 at 12:13 PM with the headline "Florida Senate passes bill to ban child marriage."