Refusing Sexual Intimacy In Marriage Could Attract 2-year Jail Term, Police Warn

A senior officer in the Ghana Police Service has indicated that repeatedly denying intimacy within a marriage may constitute emotional abuse under the country’s domestic violence legislation.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dennis Fiakpui made this observation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA). Fiakpui, who serves as the Oti Regional Deputy Police Commander, explained that Ghana’s Domestic Violence Act 732 of 2007 recognises certain behaviours in intimate relationships as forms of emotional abuse.

He noted that a spouse who intentionally withholds sexual relations in a manner that causes emotional distress could face legal action if a formal complaint is lodged and proven in court.

“Denying your partner sex can amount to emotional abuse,” Fiakpui said, adding that women who refuse sexual relations with their husbands could face charges and, if convicted, serve up to two years in prison.

The ACP emphasised that the law applies to both men and women, stating that husbands who withhold sexual intimacy from their wives may 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 added, referring to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit.

Fiakpui also encouraged individuals experiencing emotional abuse in their marriages to seek assistance through the proper legal channels instead of enduring the situation in silence.