There’s a bit of interesting history here.
Till the late 1800s the age of consent in England was 13, in Scotland 12, and in most US states 10(!) or 12.
http://chnm.gmu.edu/cyh/primary-sources/24
This of course applied to girls having sex with men, since boys having sex with men was completely illegal anyway.
That may be true, but 12 year olds a century ago were already working and a lot more mature. Besides which, I imagine their parents expected or demanded they get married soon after being caught having sex. “Childhood” today lasts into the mid-30’s.
Well, adults having sex with 12-year-olds is sick now and it was sick then. I don’t give a rat’s butt what the law said.
When people were very poor, I’m sure it was not uncommon for girls to be given (sold) to older men in marriage, because girls were considered to be a financial liability. That doesn’t make it right.
Anybody comes near my granddaughter, and it won’t matter what the law says, he will be dead.
IMO, it was a law that allowed adults to do what they wanted with children and the child had no say so in it.
Some countries still marry their children off.