Ghana Police Officer: Denying Spouse Sex Constitutes Emotional Abuse Under Domestic Violence Law

A senior Ghanaian police officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dennis Fiakpui has declared that refusing sexual intimacy to a spouse can amount to emotional abuse, potentially leading to criminal charges and up to two years' imprisonment under the country's Domestic Violence Act 732 of 2007.

ACP Dennis Fiakpui, the Oti Regional Deputy Commander, made the remarks in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA). He emphasized that the law applies equally to both men and women in marital or intimate relationships.

Speaking on the broader scope of emotional abuse, ACP Fiakpui highlighted specific examples of conduct that could warrant police intervention.

“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.

He stressed reciprocity in reporting such issues, adding that women who refused to give sex to their husbands should equally be reported.

ACP Fiakpui noted that women who refuse their husbands sex could face charges of emotional abuse if proven to cause distress, with a maximum penalty of two years in jail upon conviction. He encouraged men denied intimacy by their wives to lodge complaints, while urging women facing similar denial from husbands to do the same at the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVSSU).