Just found out about the Radfords, Britain's biggest family, she was 13 and he was 17!!!

[KnitFastDieWarm1]

Im sure this must have been common knowledge for ages but I've just found out she was 13 when she was first pregnant, he was 17. The media narrative always seems to be purely that theyre admirable cos they work and don't claim benefits, they've stayed together, etc. Its always been positive coverage from what I've seen.
Im unsettled and repulsed that statutory rape, basically, has been glossed over and minimised. 13!

Mn don't tend to like a bad word said about them. Will be surprised if this thread lasts!

This thread won't last but you are right OP, an age gap that large at that age is very wrong.

This is well known, and not only that but I think she might have a learning disability so was even more vulnerable.

Can’t speak ill of the Radfords on here though, the threads disappear faster than the Mcann ones.

Well 22 kids doesn’t scream responsibility. It doesn’t surprise me

I searched on here for related threads and couldn't find any. Hmmmmm!

Yes, it is always glossed over by them. So possibly they were having sex when she was 12. Revolting and never know why he wasnt charged.

Yes, not so wholesome now is it.

This is the only thing I know about these people, thanks to the threads that only last 5 mins before getting zapped on MN. Also they are bakers maybe?

Ugh. Vile

You need to get yourself to their tattle pages!

They were both very damaged and grew up in care. I wouldn't say that their situation is that unusual given their background. Around that time at least one girl in the same school year would get pregnant. It wasn't statutory rape and things were different in the past. On threads about the past, there's lots of stories about being picked up from school by older bfs in their cars. Read the thread on 'rita, sue and Bob too'. He was 17 when she got pregnant. 14 and 18 when their first was born. At 16 you could live independently.

Poor woman. Mustve been incredibly traumatic to be pregnant so young.

These threads don't last because people make shit up (like "they were possibly having sex when she was 12!") and because they're a libelous nightmare.

Yep, it's grim. However MN won't tolerate any threads criticising them. Apparently we all have to pretend that a 17 year old getting a 13 year old pregnant is fine and dandy.

Dodgy as fuck all round

This is well known and heavily published, not much you can do now over 23 years later.

I believe her parents also consented to them being married age 17.

I’ve seen very little about them through choice but I am very uncomfortable about them for many reasons.
Exploitation seems to be on many levels.

Go to the tattle pages. They're awful people in lots of ways.

They didn’t grow up in care, they were both adopted as babies (Noel at 10 days old if you’ve seen the recent episode). Still doesn’t make it right though…..

There were always a few girls at school when I was young back in the 90s 😂 13,14, with older boyfriends and I remember we all thought it was creepy and wrong even back then. Looking back its blatantly obvious that a 13 yr old in a 'relationship' with an 18 yr old is so wrong. It happens but that doesn't make it less shocking.

Same.

Well they were definitely having sex when she was 13, which is hardly better.

In 1988, in some communities, it wasn't that shocking. Coronation Street ran the Sarah platt aged 13 pregnancy in 2000, because it was happening and the campaign for better sex education was starting to be discussed.

It was. The age of consent was 16.

Have to agree ,not that i think its right ,but when i was a teen in the 80,s it wasnt,that uncommon,for girls at my school 14/15 year olds to have boyfriends in their late teens ,i never did ,but it certainly happened ,and there were a fair few girls who got pregnant before they left school and this was a catholic school.