Effort to end child marriages in Virginia going to House floor for a vote

Activists and survivors are pushing to completely bar child marriages in Virginia, where exceptions still allow them.

In 2016, the commonwealth became the first state to limit marriage to those who are legal adults, but through a complicated judicial process, some 16- and 17-year-olds could still win permission to marry. In 2018, 23 minors got married. Since 2019, another 27 have wed.

Now a bill is being considered to remove any exception, which 10 other states have already done. The Northern Virginia-based Tahirih Justice Center has been working nationwide to end marriage before age 18.

“One child married is too many,” Tahirih Justice Center Director of Public Policy Casey Swegman said. “Forced or not, it sets people up for devastating short- and long-term consequences, and in fact, delaying marriage to 18 or beyond will set all people up to be better off.”

At a recent hearing in Richmond, a representative for faith-based nonprofit Family Foundation urged lawmakers to stick with current law.

“There are good reasons for people to get married under this very reasonable exception,” Family Foundation legislative counsel Josh Hetzler said.

'They signed me away'

Brigitte Combs was 15 and pregnant when she got married in a courthouse ceremony to a much older man through a pairing her mother set up for religious reasons.

“This was a legal marriage, because my parents signed the paperwork,” she said. “They signed me away.”

She would come to realize being married with two kids at 17 wasn’t right. 

“And oh my gosh, this is not going to work, and now what do I do?” Combs said. “I can’t go to my parents. I’m not old enough to file for divorce. I don’t even have a driver’s license.”

Combs left the marriage at 18, became homeless for a time and divorced at 20. She said being a child bride had lifelong consequences.

Now living in Richmond, in a stable, long-term marriage, she joined those pushing to tighten Virginia law.

“Closing that loophole, I see as a way of offering protection, more, an added layer of protection,” she said.

The legislation moved forward Friday, winning approval taking it to the House of Delegates floor for a vote.

In Maryland, minors can marry as young as 17 with the consent of parents or guardians. In the District, minors as young as 16 can marry.