The Ghana Police Service has warned that the persistent denial of sexual relations within marriage may constitute emotional abuse under the country’s domestic violence laws and could attract a jail term of up to two years if proven in court.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Dennis Fiakpui, the Oti Regional Deputy Police Commander, disclosed this while speaking with the Ghana News Agency. He explained that Ghana’s Domestic Violence Act 732 of 2007 recognises emotional abuse as an offence and covers certain harmful actions or inactions within intimate relationships.
According to Fiakpui, a spouse who deliberately withholds sex in a manner that causes emotional distress to their partner may face legal consequences once a complaint is lodged and the matter is established in court. He stressed that the law applies equally to both men and women, noting that husbands who deny their wives sex could also be reported and investigated.
He further pointed out that other behaviours capable of causing emotional pain, such as neglect or actions that consistently make a spouse unhappy, could equally form the basis of a complaint at the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the police.
The police officer encouraged individuals who feel emotionally abused in their marriages to seek help through appropriate legal channels rather than endure such situations in silence.
