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?

She looked older than 18 for sure!

Have you actually read any of the articles?
They met when she was 16 and have now married as she's turned 18.

Yes - have you? There are several "stories". I try to read all of them.

Christ, sorry! 😳I just clicked on the hashtag on twatter and posted the link. 😮

That is fucking GRIM.

Oh well. If it’s their CULTURE…

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

Different country, different culture.

I've read an article today saying she's 26 to.

It doesn't say 'long-term' in the article. It specifically says it isn't known how long they've been together.

Which article says she is 26?

To be honest, we don't know which ones are correct about her age.

It all depends on how long they've been together, surely?
Massively ick if she was 13. Not ick (but still unusual) if she was 17.
"Culture" isn't an excuse for child abuse and grooming though.

This post is a dog whistle for racists

Yes, it really is. A bit like when people get incredibly angry about halal slaughter, but continue to eat factory-farmed chicken, eggs and pork because somehow they're only angry about bad things when it's non-white people doing them.

This age gap wouldn't really have raised an eyebrow even in the UK until relatively recently - my parents have cousins and friends who got married in the 1960s, including my mum's best friend who married a man in his late 20s when she was 17. Nobody - literally nobody - thought it was weird or wrong or grooming or anything like that. My partner's grandmother married a 35-year-old man when she was 19 in the 1930s - again, not an eyebrow raised, all considered totally normal and fine.

So for those of you who are going to dismiss the people of Senegal as groomers and paedophiles, are you also going to dismiss pretty much everyone else in Europe who ever lived up until 20ish years ago?

I''ve just had a google and I've seen three different ages mentioned, so I think it'd be wise not to judge until we know the full story.

As a Liverpool fan I love Sadio...great player and as @bleughgreen said he's done alot for his community. He's done nothing wrong here so it's much ado about nothing.

It’s not for me to comment on, or worse still judge the social norms & practices concerning marriage between Senegalese people. Their country, their society, their culture.

I can't get too het up over a woman above the legal age of consent getting married.......and you shouldn't either. Save your hand wringing for bigger issues.

You have the best username I've ever seen!

Charles and Diana were 32 and 20 when they married

Whilst not the best advertisement for a happy marriage I don't recall anyone getting in a stew about the age difference.

Thanks! Si senor!