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In Brazil, 43K Kids Under 14 Married

Many families unaware these unions are illegal

By Kate Schwartz, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 14, 2011 6:33 AM CDT

(Newser) – America's 2010 census revealed gloomy news; Brazil's revealed illegal news. According to 2010 figures, 43,000 children under the age of 14 are living with a partner—something that is against the law but clearly not uncommon. Brazil's penal code bans those under 14 from getting married, and defines sex with them as statutory rape. But one legal expert says it's far from unheard of for families, unaware of the law, to ask the court for permission to marry off a too-young daughter. The AP notes that the states that are most frequently home to these unions have the country's lowest per-capita income.

Many families are unaware these unions are illegal. (Getty Images)

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Showing 3 of 16 comments

flameforjustice

Sep 14, 2011 6:42 PM CDT

Anything to be rid of daughters. So sad.

Toon

Sep 14, 2011 10:19 AM CDT

Marriage has as much to do with money as it does sex. Since this seems to be mostly a phenomena of the poor I'm willing to bet that their is a monetary reason for this, the young age justifying smaller cheaper weddings or to bring girls into household to help their mother in laws with cooking, cleaning or childcare, a method of balancing the genders in families with too many or not enough daughters.

JOHNSPEAKS

Sep 14, 2011 6:42 AM CDT

-Brazil- allows same sex marriages why not allow children to be victimized by the same type of sexual perverts???

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In Brazil, 43K Kids Under 14 Married

Many families unaware these unions are illegal

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Brazil • marriage • census • teen brides

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Frontotemporal dementia strikes early and fast

Nigerian State Playing Matchmaker for Thousands

Seeks to remedy apparently soaring divorce rate

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