31yo marries LONG TERM 18 YO partner

[ToddlerIs2]

I don't follow football but my phone keeps trying to tell me than Mane, an ex Liverpool footballer has married his LONG TERM girlfriend now she's 18. They married whilst she was at school, obviously. Kept the relationship away from the media until the wedding, dor obvious reasons.

Even if she remained a virgin until her wedding night, aibu to think it's ick and probably not something I'd be doing massive photoshoots for across the newspapers?

www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/sadio-mane-aisha-tamba-married-31842777

Their business, their culture.

Just found this stat on the Girls Not Brides webpage:

"31% of girls in Senegal are married before their 18th birthday and 9% are married before the age of 15." Female education rates are low - hence, I imagine, the emphasis on him having funded her education.

Sounds like this isn't outside Senegalese norms and likely has some elements of an arranged marriage with a financial agreement.

I'd be really interested in seeing some perspectives on this from Senegalese women.

It says it’s not known how long they had been dating. I agree a 31 and an 18 year old is problematic from a western perspective however this is a culture that I am not familiar with - it is possible the marriage could have been arranged or semi-arranged.

It looks like grooming to me. ‘Culture’ isn’t an excuse for abuse of women.

Not sure culture should be used to wave away safeguarding issues (broadly speaking, not necessarily in relation to these specific people)

@EdgarsTale you have a narrow view of the world then. Different countries have different customs.

(I'm not agreeing with the marriage or relationship).

@Flimpychunk what about the 16 year darts player having a girlfriend a lot older? Would you like to blame his culture for that too?

This post is a dog whistle for racists.

I don't know a lot about Senegalese culture but I think we fail if we try and transpose it upon our own Western one and attempt to compare.

We don't know the full circumstances.

That depends on the 'business'. E.g. FGM is my business even if I am not of the culture that performs it, though I would be a bit dubious of giving a society that did FGM the dignity of being a culture.

I’m from that part of Africa but I’m not Senegalese. Culture is no excuse for this rubbish. Absolutely gross

There are other reports which say she's 26. This story seems to have originated from a Nigerian source, Pulse, which was picked up by the Daily Mail and reported elsewhere.

Who actually knows.

@BunniesRUs Haven’t come across this story but I’m not sure I follow. My point is that culture is irrelevant and I don’t think we should use it to dismiss concerns, not that culture is to blame.

what about the 16 year darts player having a girlfriend a lot older? Would you like to blame his culture for that too?

Yes but to be fair Luke Littler is clearly 35.

Wow seriously? How incredibly ignorant and offensive. You do realise that not everyone in Senegal is in favour of FGM, and there is massive 'culture' in Senegal and west Africa. My father is from that region. Your comment is breathtakingly ignorant. Jesus the arrogance

My username indicates an obvious pro-Mane bias but we simply do not know the facts. How old is Aisha? It's impossible for me to have an opinion without knowing the truth.

Apparently she is 26 not 18. But they look very happy in the wedding photos.

Jesus do not click that link some anal porn popped up for me when I did.

Since when were paedos interested in 18 year olds? A devout Muslim wouldn't have pre-marital sex anyway so you'd be better off waiting for the facts really.

Is it an arranged marriage, I.e., their families formally agreed to the marriage several years ago? They may not have been a relationship as we think of it in Western culture,

Definitely a Karen

I know it’s a separate issue, but Mane has given a vast amount of money to his local community in Senegal. He’s regarded as being a decent man.

She's 26, they have been together since she was 18