US judges rule girls can marry at age 12

AN AMERICAN court has lowered the age at which a girl can marry to just 12.

Three Colorado appeal judges overturned a previous ruling that a 15-year-old girl, who is now 18, was too young to marry a 38-year-old man.

The girl, known only as JMH of Weld County, sought the ruling after becoming pregnant with Willie Lee Rouse's child. Her mother consented to her marriage after the girl began living with Rouse at age 14 in 2002.

Rouse is now in prison, serving four years for stalking, after sexual assault charges were dropped.

While the ruling does not alter the state's statutory marriage age of 16 with parental consent, and 18 without it, its key ruling recognised English common law, under which marriage is legal for a 12-year-old girl or a 14-year-boy, under circumstances which include a pregnancy out of wedlock or other child issues.

Ten states across the US, including the District of Columbia, recognise common-law marriages. In New Hampshire, a 13-year-old girl can marry a 14-year-old boy, though a parent or guardian can annul the marriage until one or both reach 18.

"This is a real shocker," said Stephen Harhai, a Denver lawyer. "This means your 12-year-old can, with whomever, say, 'I intend to be married to you,' and that's it, [they're] married."