Under the new ruling, sex with a bride under the age of 18 will be considered rape, punishable by 10 years in prison or a life sentence.

This is a major change, closing a loophole from a previous law that stated sex with a wife who was between the ages of 15-18 was legal and could not be considered rape.

Critics often pointed to the fact it's illegal to marry a bride under 18, so a law that only protected girls under 15 years of age was pointless.

Women and children's rights advocates are calling this move a major step toward protecting young girls although some are concerned with how the law will be enforced and if men can be punished for past crimes.
 
Advocates say India has a long way to go when it comes to ending child marriage. Despite being illegal, the practice is widespread.

According to Girls Not Brides, 47% of the women in India are married before the age of 18.

As CBN News reported, some of the girls being wed are as young as 4-5 years old. 

CBN News' George Thomas was allowed to attend one of the child weddings and reported that in order to evade the law, families often perform marriages in secret, usually late at night. 

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