By SUNTV Global Channel | Accra
The Ghana Police Service has issued a strong warning to couples, stating that deliberately denying a partner sex could amount to emotional abuse and attract criminal sanctions under Ghana’s Domestic Violence Act.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dennis Fiakpui, the Oti Regional Deputy Police Commander, disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), explaining that Act 732 of 2007 recognises emotional abuse as a punishable offence within marriage and intimate relationships.
According to ACP Fiakpui, a spouse—whether wife or husband—who intentionally withholds sex in a manner that causes emotional pain, distress or psychological harm to their partner can be reported to the police and prosecuted. If found guilty, such an offence carries a possible prison sentence of up to two years.
He clarified that the law is gender-neutral, stressing that while women who deny their husbands sex could face charges, men who also deny their wives intimacy or engage in actions that emotionally harm them are equally liable under the law.
“Emotional abuse goes beyond physical violence,” ACP Fiakpui said. “If a husband refuses to eat his wife’s food, comes home late deliberately, or behaves in ways that cause emotional pain, the wife can report the matter to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU). The same applies to men who are emotionally abused by their spouses.”
The senior police officer encouraged victims of emotional abuse to speak up and seek help rather than suffer in silence, noting that the Domestic Violence Act was designed to protect the dignity, mental health and wellbeing of all partners in a relationship.
His comments have sparked public debate across Ghana, with many calling for greater public education on what constitutes emotional abuse under the law and how couples can resolve marital disputes without resorting to criminal action.
SUNTV Global Channel will continue to monitor reactions and expert opinions on the implications of the law for marriages and relationships across the country.
