By Politico Staff Writer
Married people (men and women) who deny their partners sex, can be jailed for up to two years for causing “emotional abuse”, the police in Ghana have warned, citing an existing law in force since 2007.
The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police also imposes an optional fine of 500 penalty units, which is equivalent to GH¢6,000 (Le10million). It also provides that people found guilty of the offence can face both fines and jail term.
Mr George Appiah-Sakyi, Central Regional Coordinator of the DOVVSU, was quoted saying the law is also applicable to men who may deny their wives sex or cause them any other form of emotional distress, like refusing to eat their food or returning home late. He told a forum held to sensitize religious leaders in the Cape Coast Metropolis on terrorism and other security issues that these violations were provided for under the Domestic Violence Act 732 of 2007.
“If your husbands refuse to eat your food and make you unhappy and cause you emotional pain, you can also report them to the police. If your husband comes home late and causes you to be unhappy you can make a case at DOVSSU,” Appiah-Sakyi was quoted by the Ghana News Page.
“If your wife wears jeans to sleep and causing you emotional abuse it’s an offence and you can report her to DOVVSU,” he added.
The DOVVSU is the equivalent of the Family Support Unit (FSU) of the Sierra Leone Police which is charged with addressing issues of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV). Both institutions were the responses of the two countries to high spates of SGBV.
But unlike its Ghanaian equivalent, the FSU is specifically mandated to respond to incidences of Sexual, Physical and Emotional abuse of women and children.
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