When she was ten years old, Sherry Johnson became a mother and a wife. She was raped at eight, but her mom would not believe her. When she got pregnant, her mom forced her to marry the guy who raped her, who was twice her age. Johnson shared the ordeal of being a child-wife. She now advocates against child marriages in the U.S. and worldwide, as per the AHA Foundation.
Sexually assaulted through childhood
As a little girl, Johnson lived with her mother in Tampa. Her mom belonged to an apostolic church and worked as a substitute teacher. Their church required them to go to church six days a week, sometimes seven.
Her mother spent little time with her.
When Johnson was eight, the bishop summoned her into his bedroom. He then forced her to lie on the bed, used petroleum jelly, and raped her. Blood dripped on her legs after, and she washed them and went to school. She did not have any idea what had just happened.
The rape never stopped after that. The bishop and a church deacon sexually assaulted her repeatedly. When she tried to tell her mom about it, she would not believe her. It happened so frequently that Johnson accepted it as part of growing up.
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Didn't quite understand the word pregnant
According to Original Newsbreak, she was summoned by the nurse after several months. She examined her and sent her back to class. She again heard her name through the intercom. She recalled being made to collect her things and wait in the office for her mother to pick her up.
When she was in the car, her mom blurted that she was having a baby and asked who the father was.
She told her mom that she had already told her, but she refused to believe it. Her mom would eventually tell everyone that she was lying and blamed her for shaming the family.
Later, a doctor confirmed that she was indeed pregnant. She knew right then that it was the deacon's child.
When she gave birth, a child welfare worker came by to ask questions. Since the men who raped her were adults, they would likely face statutory rape if she confessed. Her mother bought her a white dress and a veil and accompanied the bride and groom to the Hillsborough County courthouse in Tampa. Johnson was 11 at the time; her soon-to-be husband was 20.
The child wife
The judge in Tampa refused to marry her because of her age. A month later, her mom and the deacon brought her to Pinellas County, where the judge allowed the marriage despite knowing her age.
She became a mother in 1971. The couple lived with her mom. Since her church did not allow birth control, she was pregnant every year. Initially, she tried to go to school, but since she got pregnant every year, and her husband left her every time she got pregnant, she had to drop out. The couple struggled financially, and the marriage was miserable.
The couple divorced when she was 17 years old. She then moved out of her mom's house and the church. She married twice after, but both marriages failed.
Advocate against child marriage
Johnson became a founder of the Svon Foundation, an organization advocating against child marriage. She also published a book, "Forgiving the Unforgivable," published in 2013.
She has spent the past years advocating the anti-child marriage bill. They were successful, with Texas and Virginia enacting new laws that limit marriage to those 18 and over. She said she wants to help girls from getting into child marriages, CNN reports.
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