Parents for force their children to marry adults should be charged with human trafficking

I’m glad they brought this issue to light because some people think child marriage only happens in third world countries.

"She's not old enough to make the decision to not have my child, but she's old enough to decide to marry me, a 60* year old man" BOY IF YOU DONT SHUT UP-

I was a child bride. Married to an older man at 15 years old. I became pregnant a couple months later because he refused to use protection, nor did he allow me to start birth control. I was a mother at 16. I endured pressure from being told that it worked for my mother, as she was a child bride too and a mother at 16. I was also told by my father that because I was a girl that I was only good for one thing and that he would get rid of me as soon as he could. Being continuously bullied , It came easy to fall into a relationship with an abusive, manipulative, unfaithful narcissist. I was forced to quit school because I was a liability to the school as a pregnant teenager. So my dreams of becoming a nurse were no longer possible. Always being told that because I am too young to make decisions on my own over my own body , I ended up in a situation where I was considered as property. It took me 8 years to make a way out of that physically, mentally and emotional prison. I had to get my three kids out of that dangerous situation. I couldn't stay and have them witness their mother being abused as well as his inability to get and keep a job. I wanted better for them. There are so many ways I was controlled, and he was so manipulative that he would disable my car so I was not able to get food and what my kids needed. We lived outside of a small mountain town and there was no public transportation back then, no shelters and police didn't care if he beat me. One asked " what did you say to him to make him do this to you?" He was in a drunken rage and frequently came home from the bar to beat me for the rest of the night until he passed out. Then ask me what happened to me and why was face swollen? Then crying and saying that he was sorry. .There are so many things that go on in a child marriage that no one will ever know about. It has to be stopped. We are humans, not property. Thank you for reading my story. I hope for a deeper understanding of the dynamic of child marriage.

This is why we need stronger laws against child marriage in the US

She's a child because she's underage, but is an adult because she's married. You can't have it both ways. Children under 18 should not be able to marry, not even a parent's permission should override that

The fact people are defending marrying off literal kids is disgusting 💀

"You are a Bully, and a Predator!!" That was the NICEST way of putting it....

If Lindsay’s mom died at age 19, that means she had her at 16. 😦 she was a kid herself. 😢

The smile on her face when he says she will be banished from the church, says it all

When you force a child into an adult situation don't get mad when they make adult decisions.

The judge that signed off on this should be kicked off the bench and thrown in jail

What sucks even more, is if she did try to get out of it by claiming she’s being abused, she wouldn’t be old enough to get a lawyer! And domestic violence shelters wouldn’t accept her because she’s not of age either ! So she’s old enough to MARRY but not do these things ??? Our system is messed up

A parent giving consent on a matter regarding a child's sexual abuse is a monstrosity. How is incestual rape a crime, but allowing another person rape your child isn't? What the hell is wrong with the people who still didn't change this law?

hey, 14 year old grooming victim here. i recently got out of a very toxic situation with a 20 year old and i’m still recovering. in my honest opinion, children under the age of 18 should NOT be allowed to marry at all, period.

Her smile at the end when he said she would be banished. She knew she was now free of that man.

Tragically child marriage is currently legal in 44 states. Many places below the age of consent. This is unacceptable. Glad attention was brought to this subject.

Grabbing her and dragging her out of the room is assault. How is he not arrested?

I'm 14 and I couldn't imagine getting married to and getting pregnant with someone my own age, much less a man so much older. It's disgusting that this still happens.

I know someone who is a doctor and came across this same type of situation. She had a similar conversation with the girl and her MUCH older husband tried to interject. She (my friend) took only one quick glance at him and said "Excuse me, but this whole time, I wasn't talking to YOU, at ALL." Luckily, she was able to convince that girl to make her own decisions. The last time she saw that dirty old man, she said to him "You know, you're lucky that *I'm* not your wife. If I was, I would have burned you in your bed a long time ago."

him: “you will be diminished in the eyes of the lord” also him:”sleeps with a child”

I seriously hope someone called the police after the girl said "I don't want to bring a child into this world." That was literally her confirming she's being abused.

I love how the doctor handle the situation, making him think he is right and that the female doctor was just problematic. Basically resolved the case.

If anybody noticed, she said her mom died when she was 19 and earlier she said she died when she was 3. So that means the mom was pregnant at 16 too, which explains why her dad signed the child marriage off

The US really needs to get stricter with child marriage laws. Currently it's perfectly legal for 14 year olds to get married in most states.

I bet he hated acting as this character but well done to the actor for helping bring a light such a disgusting thing that happens to young girls all over the world

I’m so glad they approved the hysterectomy. It can be so difficult for women to get a hysterectomy even with children already or at an older age. It not unheard of for doctors to require the husbands consent too, even for adults.

I was a child bride in mississippi. My mom arranged the marriage. 6 pregnancies before the age of 21. Child marriages are a real issue that needs attention

The fact this grown man showed NO concern for her health. She is clearly being abused and is traumatized. How can a parent give consent if the child doesn’t? SMH. 🤦🏽‍♀️

I had a neighbor who as a 14 yr old girl was “sold” into marriage to a man who was 33 yrs older than her, by her OWN FAMILY because they felt they couldn’t “afford” her any longer. Yes, happened right here in the United States of America & it was considered legal because the parents consented to it. Pretty damn sick, huh.

I love how the preacher uses the same reasons the doctors were using to try and help her to try and stop her from the surgery “She can’t make that kind of decision for herself” or “they coerced/forced you to do this right?”

What a wonderful and godly husband. A 14 year old "woman" can not make "these kind of decisions on her own", but is mature enough to choose a husband for herself. Fact: she does not even need to choose a husband, her dad chose for her. Evil in the name of God!

"She can't make that kind of decision for herself," he says. Man I would love to hear him elaborate on that, and ADMIT that the reason she wouldn't normally be able to make a decision like that for herself is because she's a CHILD. What an absolute dumpster fire of a human being.

The moment he put his hands on her to try and remove her from the room that was assault. I would’ve had him removed and arrested right then and there

Sad thing is there are some states that really allow this BS as long as one parent gives consent 🤦🏽‍♀️

The fact that a parent can just sign their kid up for something like that legally is disgusting.

All forms of child marriage should be considered illegal…EVERYWHERE. Back in April, In Tennessee, law makers proposed a new marriage bill that sets NO age limit for marriage. Meaning that you could have YOUNG child as a bride or groom. We cannot allow this in America.

I was married at 16 because a 24 year old got me pregnant. This would have been my life had he not died of a heroin overdose 7 months later. Our son was a month old and is now 23. Thank God he is nothing like his father.

I was having a nervous breakdown watching this how awful for older men to seek out these very young girls sickening

Notice that when they first make eye contact after the consent comment, she looks away, but after she verbally states that it was her decision, she stares him down. Great acting!!

even as a Christian and conservative, this is sickening to me. SHE IS 14! and the "husband" looks like he's well into his 60s. marriage under God is when people love each other, not to be baby makers and pedophiles.

It should be a law that even with parental consent a woman can't marry until she is of legal Adult age...The same with young underage men too...Making it illegal for Parents to Marry off their underage children for any reason..There is no barter and trade agreements.

Her face at 1:00 is just heartbreaking. Absolute despair. I know it’s fiction, but it just breaks my heart that she’s had to go through such horrible things because of that man. It makes it worse knowing this happens in real life and my heart absolutely ACHES for those going through this kind of nightmare.

I think that a parent who gives permission for their underage child to be married should be brought up on trafficking charges. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

"Are those things I'm supposed to look forward to?" The way she delivered it was so heartbreaking.

Him: "You'll be banished from the church" God:" Leave me out of this"

The fact that he genuinely doesn’t care and just wants to leave 😱

The girl that plays Lindsay is a really good actress and she was also in an episode of Chicago PD. So glad Natalie and Will helped her get out of that awful situation! This should be illegal! I love her smile at the end! ❤

When Linsey says she does not want to bring a child into "this world", we all know what she is talking about, and furthering her point at the end when she smiles about being banished, that is what she wanted all along.

I have a niece who had ovarian cancer. She underwent chemo and had one ovarie removed. She survived and now has four beautiful children.

child marriage without any age of consent is legal in 5 states of the USA. there are 300k marriages to children as young as 10 or lower. i didn't know this until last week and i'm so fucking disgusted.

Hysterectomy. Best decision I ever made. I spoke with my grandmother before in part of making an informed decision bc I could select what I had removed. With my family history and genetics testing, I could pick what my doctor would remove or everything. Granny suggested have everything. So glad I had support from granny, mom and sister in my recovery. Beautiful transition into menopause.

That smirk on her face as they were wheeling her away….priceless 😂

Child marriage currently remains legal in 44 US states some of them without any set age limit. If this disgusts you as much as it does me, call your state representatives.

I’ve watched this clip so many times, and 1) kudos to this actress, especially 7:00 - 7:40, that is such an emotional scene and she plays it so well. 2) The realization that even if her husband tried to say she was “coerced,” he still wouldn’t have an argument. They tried to persuade her into chemo; she chose the hysterectomy. It’s a small detail, but it makes me so happy: it really was her choice.

That smile at the end he thinks hes threatening her but hes giveing her everything she wants and that freedom from him the church everything

She's only useful to these people if she can have children, she understands that perfectly. This is her chance to break the cycle. Later she may find a wonderful man who truly respects her and they can adopt a child.

Her smile at the end when he threatens to have her banished from the community says everything about how much she wanted to be a part of it in the first place!

There is no law that protects minors. It’s so sad.

The man and the teenage girl; what amazing actors! Both of them are really good to convey emotions realistically. Bravo!

I love the little smile/smirk when she is rolled off to the surgery room, she has made a decision for herself and is taking a stand against what was forced upon her :D

How can a human being call a 14 year old their spouse and think its ok? Unbelievable

the way she started smiling when the reverend was saying “you will be banished by the church blah blah blah” it was great

A child should never have to say "Are those things I'm supposed to look foward to?" when being talked to about a possible future💔

She knew exactly what she was doing, it's just a shame she had to give up her ability to have kids to get out of the abusive situation.

Rarely does a girl her age have the strength and courage to stand up. I hope more shows do episodes like this to put it into the minds of young brides that they can push back and get free.

He doesn’t care about her at all. He sees her as a baby maker. She is in pain and he is doing nothing to ease her pain. He doesn’t care. At. All. And probably often sees her in distress from what he is doing to her and just rationalizes it away.

I hope all children remain safe and happy and never have to go through all of the monstrosities life has to offer ❤

What I love about this aside from her standing up to her abusive husband is how the medical professionals respected her decision to not reproduce. Whether we’re unmarried in our twenties without children, married in our forties with children or anywhere in between, we women have a hard time being taken seriously when we say “I don’t want any(more) kids.” Religious or not, people think women are destined for motherhood and anyone who doesn’t want that is “confused” or will “change their mind”. That needs to change.

My mother is a labor and delivery nurse a few months ago she had a twelve year old child come in to give birth the father was twenty four and her parents were aware of the relationship and she was living with him. The hospital called the cops and the three were arrested if they had been legally married I can’t imagine what else could have happened. This man walked into that hospital with her and saw no issue with what happened. That is one of the most angry/exhausted I have ever seen or heard my mother in my life. I’m unsure of what happened to the girl’s parents but he went to jail and I believe the kids had to go to foster care. People like this are the worst kind.

This guy is such a good actor. You really want to punch him through your screen! Serious acting skills

I love that the doctors respected her decision and agreed to give her the hysterectomy. There's too many stories about women having to fight tooth and nail to be sterilized.

How pained the male doctor was to scoff and say “women 🙄” just to get the creeps trust will never get old

My daughter is 14… I could not imagine her becoming a wife right now! Kids need to be kids. They need to be able to learn, grow, and become who they want to become.

The way he sounded so offended when the doctor called Lindsey his daughter, it’s sad and disgusting how this kind of stuff happens

This pops up every now and then in my recommended and each time i watch it i realize that she was probably married to him at age 12. She had a miscarriage 4 moths prior to this and was pregnant for some months before that. Its disgusting and horrible to think that this kind of situation happens in real life.

The smile on her face when he said “you go through with this and you will be banished by the church and the community” gave me chills. So many young girls really had to live through things like this and I imagine a lot of them would have the same reaction.

Regardless of religion, child marriages is one of the most atrocious things in any human culture, religious freedom and state law can be damned to hell. Children don't have their own legal rights, they can't obtain nor afford a lawyer, and they can't speak for themselves. It's repugnant.

Okay but lets all agree, the male actor did a Fabulous job making his character believable and hated without being outright evil (say beating his wife etc). Like I feel genuine disgust with his character, well done!

By them excommunicating her, they’re only doing her a huge favor. You gotta love the smile on her face as they wheel her away.

It’s absolutely disgusting that parents the supposed PROTECTORS actually not only have the right but sometimes in fact sign away their children to fully grown adults…..it’s opening them to abuse knowingly and it’s horrifying to think that there’s technically nothing you can do unless you go the route of medical emancipation….disturbing

I loved how she smiled when he said u will be banished Edit: omg so much likes

I love the smirk on her face as she was rolled away from him

gotta love the little smirk the girl gave as she was rolled away from him

her smile at the end made all the anger that reverend caused me to just diminish. she knows what she’s doing and that it’ll give her a much better life than her mom and grandma had and she is so, SO happy her choice mattered and she got what she needed.

So a CHILD will get "banished" for not GIVING DAMN BIRTH, but a GROWN MAN will not, even tough he is a CHILD ABUSER? Makes me want to vomit. Good that these kind of cases are being brought up. It's sickening how these things are actually being left to happen.

No they should be able to talk to her privately if there’s suspicion of abuse.

I love when she smiles out of sight from him at the end. Being banned is what she wants. So proud of her

I was married off at 15 to a 29 year old back in early 90's. My guardian had to sign for it to happen. When the kids started coming, I was stuck(not one single doctor that I saw during my pregnancies mentioned anything to me about the difference in age or if I was even ok). I was convinced by him and everyone else that if I left, I'd have to leave without my kids due to me being under age. That's why a lot of kids stay with their spouses in child/marriage situations. As soon as I was of age and had a solid plan, I left with my kids and never looked back. The disgusting part is, these marriages are still happening today.

My husband's cousin got pregnant at 11 by her mother's boyfriend. She lost her children but it's a horrible world we live in. Parents should always protect their children from harm and predators

can we take a sec to respect the actor who played the reverend? it must be tough to play such an outright creepy role, and he did a great job

The layers of meaning in his voice when he says "we have her consent" is just the cherry on top of the cast's fantastic performance this episode tbh. The hospital staff gave her a choice and respected it, unlike her husband.

Most would be surprised about how prevalent this issue still is. 44 states still allow child marriage. 12 have NO minimum age. And children are not allowed to file for divorce until they are legally an adult at 18. Yep.

How can you dismiss a whole person and their health over a hypothetical chance of having children? It makes no sense to me. People don't consider that pregnancy in itself is a huge medical procedure.

This is terrifying and heartbreaking. To be put in a situation like this by your own family. Pure, sick insanity.

I applaud the actor for the Reverend. He's amazing at capturing that horrible, perverted nature.

That smile on her face in the end is the smile of a person who finally realizes just how much power she truly has. This girl has never had a choice and now she does. Also, ban child marriages.

7:16 bro that’s the point she’s young too young to be married

Kudos to both the actors playing the reverend and the wife. The rage I felt towards him and sadness for her, you forget that in this situation they're actors playing roles.

i am not seeing enough praise for this young actress. i cant even imagine the emotions that go into playing a role like this, let alone living this out in real life