07 August 2023 , 20:09
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A 41-year-old woman has married her best friend's schoolboy son in a bizarre wedding.
The woman, who was named Mariana and is aged 41, and her 16-year-old new husband Kevin have a 25-year age gap. They were married in Indonesia's Sambas Regency, which is the most northerly regency in West Kalimantan Province in a ceremony that took place on 30th July.
Despite the 25-year age gap between the couple, the marriage is not illegal and it went viral on social media showing the bride in an expensive gown and the schoolboy in a suit showing off their wedding rings. In one of the images, he can also be seen to be smoking a cigarette.
The pair have a 25-year age gap between them (CEN)Despite scepticism online, the schoolboy's mother Lisa, who is best friends with the bride, apparently gave the wedding her blessing. It was later revealed that the schoolboy's mother is also four years younger than the bride, as she is aged 37. She had wanted to help her friend out because she had become depressed when a previous engagement with a man had fallen through.
All those involved have denied that the marriage to the old woman, who is the wealthy owner of a chain of grocery stores, was about money. Lisa said she had asked her son, who initially was surprised at the request but then had later agreed, and she insisted he had not been forced and instead had married the older woman happily. The eventual proposal of marriage happened after a whirlwind two-month courtship.
'I'm spending £20k on a new bathroom - but won't help my brother out with cash'
The boy's mum (not pictured) is said to have wanted to help her pal out after an engagement fell through (CEN)They also published pictures taken after the wedding showing the 16-year-old with his new bride holding hands while shopping. After the wedding, he revealed that he was going to work in a shop, and his new bride said that although he was young, marriage had already made him more mature. However, the couple still have one more hurdle to go through after the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) in West Kalimantan became involved.
A KPAI spokesman said that the marriage should not have gone ahead as the boy is still under the age of 18. They visited the couple and told them while the investigation was ongoing that they need to sleep in separate beds. If it is not annulled, it means they will need to wait two years before having a physical relationship.