Domestic Violence Act Covers Denial of Sexual Relations, Says ACP Fiakpui
The Oti Regional Deputy Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dennis Fiakpui, has cautioned that denying a spouse sexual intimacy could constitute emotional abuse under Ghana’s Domestic Violence Act 732 of 2007.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), ACP Fiakpui explained that spouses regardless of gender who withhold sexual relations may face charges of emotional abuse, carrying a potential jail term of up to two years if convicted.
The police officer urged affected partners to report cases where they feel emotionally harmed. “If your husband refuses intimacy, causes emotional distress, or behaves in ways that make you unhappy, you can file a complaint with the police. Similarly, men who are denied intimacy by their wives can also seek legal recourse,” he stated.
ACP Fiakpui highlighted that the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVSSU) is available to handle such complaints and encourage victims to come forward without fear.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), ACP Fiakpui revealed that women who refuse their husbands sex could be charged for emotional abuse and when found guilty, jailed to a maximum of two years’ imprisonment.
He said the law is also applicable to men who may deny their wives sex, encouraging such emotionally abused women to also lodge complaints with the police.
“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.
ACP Fiakpui stated that women who refused to give sex to their husbands should equally be reported.
