Ohio's marriage laws allowing underage teens to marry are too liberal and create potential for exploiting young girls, said an advocate for organization that's called for ending child marriage. The newspaper found that more than 4,400 girls age 17 or younger were married in Ohio between 2000 and 2015, including 59 who were 15 or younger. The executive director of a national nonprofit advocating for ending child marriage says Ohio's law creates situations comparable to Yemen, Iran and Saudi Arabia. The newspaper cited a 2012 study conducted by William & Mary law professor Vivian Hamilton that said teens lack maturity and skills to sustain a marriage. And she said Ohio should change its law to mandate that everyone be 18 before they can marry.

Source: ABC News September 10, 2017 20:02 UTC