Sex Denial in Marriage Could Land Partner in Court – ACP Fiakpui
The Oti Regional Deputy Commander of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dennis Fiakpui, has cautioned that deliberately denying a partner sex could amount to emotional abuse under Ghana’s Domestic Violence Act, Act 732 of 2007.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), ACP Fiakpui explained that a spouse who withholds sex and causes emotional pain to their partner may be charged with emotional abuse, and if found guilty, could face a jail term of up to two years.
According to him, the law applies equally to both men and women, stressing that husbands who deny their wives sex can also be reported and prosecuted under the same law.
He encouraged spouses who feel emotionally abused to lodge complaints with the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Police Service.
“To refuse your partner sex and make the person emotionally unhappy can be grounds for a complaint,” ACP Fiakpui said, adding that other actions such as deliberately refusing to eat a spouse’s food, consistently coming home late, or engaging in behaviour that causes emotional distress could also form the basis of a domestic violence case.
ACP Fiakpui emphasised that emotional abuse is recognised under the Domestic Violence Act and urged couples to seek peaceful ways of resolving marital issues rather than resorting to actions that could attract legal consequences.
