A 71-year-old woman has married a 17-year-old toyboy just three weeks after meeting him at her son’s funeral.When grieving pensioner Almeda Errell went to pay her last respects at her son’s funeral, the last thing she expected to find was love. Marriages involving minors typically require legal exemptions, which many countries have tightened or eliminated in recent years. Some regions have close-in-age exemptions (“Romeo and Juliet” laws), but these do not apply to large age gaps.
Governments increasingly move toward banning child marriage entirely, recognizing the risks associated with adult–minor unions. Even when legal loopholes exist, adult–minor relationships are ethically fraught. These imbalances make it easier for an adult to influence, pressure, or manipulate a minor without overt force.
