Politics

Raising marriage age seen as weapon against human trafficking

St. Louis Public Radio | By Marshall Griffin,

Marshall Griffin

Published December 27, 2016 at 5:26 PM CST

The age in which teenagers can receive a marriage license would increase to 17 under legislation pre-filed in the Missouri House.

Currently, teens as young as 15 can get married in Missouri with at least one parent's permission.

Rep.-elect Jean Evans, R-Manchester, says human traffickers are taking advantage of the current marriage age requirement.

"These numbers are skyrocketing, and in most cases these 15 and 16 year olds are marrying significantly older men," she said. "It's young women marrying older men."

Evans said it's difficult to investigate cases based on marriage licenses alone.

"Marriage licenses are not filed by age," she said. "The recorder of deeds offices are not really equipped to determine extenuating circumstances, so as long as there is one parent there to give consent, they're allowing children as young as 15 to marry."

She also cited a finding from a Missouri House task force on human trafficking, in which some parents have been involved in trafficking their own children.

"As alarming and as disgusting as it is that a parent would sign off on something like this, it does happen."

The minimum age someone in Missouri can get married without their parents' permission is 18.

The 2017 legislative session begins Jan. 4.

Follow Marshall Griffin on Twitter: @MarshallGReport

Politics

Marshall Griffin

Missouri Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a proud alumnus of the University of Mississippi (a.k.a., Ole Miss), and has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, and their cat, Honey.

See stories by Marshall Griffin

Marshall Griffin

St. Louis Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a native of Mississippi and proud alumnus of Ole Miss (welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!). He has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off an old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Liberty Belle, and their cat, Honey.