Childhood is under threat as never before
The charity Girls Not Brides UK is campaigning to raise the minimum age for marriage from 16 to 18. The primary reason is to stop the practice of forced marriages. In 2016, the UK Forced Marriage Unit’s helpline dealt with more than 1,400 cases; 15 per cent involved children aged 16 and under and 11 per cent involved 16-17 year-olds.
The campaign, however, illuminates a wider question. At what age does a child become an adult?
To read my whole column in The Times (£) please click here.
