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. Families sometimes arranged marriages to secure alliances or ensure economic stability. Education for minors—especially girls—was not prioritized historically, reducing expectations for personal autonomy before adulthood.
In many regions, life expectancy was lower, shifting the definition of “adulthood” earlier in life. However, as societies modernized, childhood and adolescence became recognized as distinct developmental stages, and child protection laws emerged. Today, most nations recognize adult–minor relationships as exploitative rather than socially acceptable traditions.
