According to a senior officer in the Ghana Police Service, the country’s domestic violence legislation may consider the continuous refusal of sexual contact within a marriage to be emotional abuse.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Dennis Fiakpui, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), revealed this. According to Fiakpui, the Oti Regional Deputy Police Commander, Ghana’s Domestic Violence Act 732 of 2007 defines emotional abuse as specific behaviors that occur in close relationships.
He claims that if a complaint is made and the offense is proven in court, a spouse who purposefully denies their partner sex in a way that causes them emotional anguish may be subject to legal repercussions.
“Denying your partner sex can amount to emotional abuse,” Fiakpui stated, adding that women who refuse to have sex with their husbands may be punished and imprisoned for up to two years if found guilty.
He explained that men and women are subject to the same laws, adding that husbands who forbid their wives from having sex may also be reported and looked into under the same laws.
He mentioned the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the police when he said, “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.”
Fiakpui added that women who routinely refuse to have sex with their husbands should also be reported, emphasizing that the law focuses on emotional harm brought on by relationships’ actions or inactions.
Instead of suffering in quiet, the police officer urged those who feel emotionally mistreated in their relationships to pursue legal action.
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