A senior officer of the Ghana Police Service has said that the persistent denial of sexual relations within marriage could amount to emotional abuse under the country’s domestic violence laws.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Dennis Fiakpui, disclosed this while speaking with the Ghana News Agency (GNA). Fiakpui, who is the Oti Regional Deputy Police Commander, explained that Ghana’s Domestic Violence Act 732 of 2007 recognises certain forms of conduct within intimate relationships as emotional abuse.
According to him, a spouse who deliberately withholds sex from their partner in a way that causes emotional distress may face legal consequences if a complaint is filed and the offence is proven in court.
“Denying your partner sex can amount to emotional abuse,” Fiakpui said, adding that women who refuse their husbands sexual relations could be charged and, upon conviction, face up to two years’ imprisonment.
He clarified that the law applies equally to both men and women, noting that husbands who deny their wives sex could also be reported and investigated under the same legal provisions.
“If your husbands refuse to eat your food and make you unhappy and cause you emotional pain, you can also report it to the police and if your husbands come home late and cause you to be unhappy, you can make a case at DOVSSU,” he said, referring to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the police.
Fiakpui further stated that women who consistently refuse to have sex with their husbands should likewise be reported, stressing that the focus of the law is on emotional harm caused by actions or inactions within a relationship.
The police officer encouraged individuals who feel emotionally abused in their marriages to seek redress through the appropriate legal channels rather than suffer in silence.
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