LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A victims’ rights advocacy group is urging state lawmakers to end child marriages in the state.

A day after victims of child sexual abuse spoke out at the nation’s Capitol, survivors and supporters of child exploitation victims are delivering their own message in Kentucky. Members of the R.I.S.E. Kentucky Coalition say there are counties across the state allowing underage marriages and otherwise skirting state law.

“We told the nation, Kentucky will lead in protecting its most vulnerable, but laws are only as strong as the people who uphold them, and I’m here today to tell you that some officials are not,” said Donna Simmons, founder of R.I.S.E. Kentucky Coalition.

Simmons said she obtained data from the state showing that in 2023 a marriage occurred between a 17- an

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