The parents of a 16-year-old runaway bride have spoken out and expressed their outrage after their daughter’s 27-year-old husband demanded they pay for his bride’s child support.
42-year-old Claire Milliner and 47-year-old Martin Chambers were shocked when their teen daughter ran away with her older boyfriend. The pair traveled to Gretna Green in Scotland where they tied the knot due to the law allowing people to get married at 16 without acquiring parental permission.
As if this wasn’t enough to digest, the Gloucestershire-based parents got surprised once more after getting contacted by the Child Maintenance Service. In their letter, they requested the parents to pay £3,600 ($4,700) in child support per year.
According to the parents, their 27-year-old son-in-law, who happens to have children of his own, was behind this request.
“I couldn’t believe it. She’s still studying to do her GCSEs and he married her — and now has the nerve to ask for child maintenance. She’s his wife!” Claire said in an interview with The Sun.
“I guess it’s for things like clothes and food, all the things that parents provide for kids. But the CMS want it paid to him,” her husband, Martin, added.
After the incident went viral, the CMS told The Sun the letter was most likely sent by mistake, as “people can’t claim child maintenance for someone who is married. They are defined as an adult by law.”
Ever since 1754, the Scottish parish has been a magnet for couples who want to get married young. The small town is still considered the wedding capital of Europe and boasts of hosting over 5,000 weddings each year.
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