Denying a Spouse Sex Could Lead to Two Years’ Jail for Emotional Abuse – Police Warn

The Ghana Police Service has cautioned that denying a spouse sex could amount to emotional abuse under the country’s domestic violence laws and may attract a jail term of up to two years.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Dennis Fiakpui, the Oti Regional Deputy Police Commander, explained that Ghana’s Domestic Violence Act, Act 732 of 2007, recognises emotional abuse as an offence, and persistent denial of sex within a marriage could fall under that provision.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, ACP Fiakpui said women who deliberately refuse their husbands sex and are found guilty of emotional abuse could face prosecution and imprisonment. He stressed that the law applies equally to both genders, noting that men who deny their wives sex can also be reported and charged.

He encouraged spouses who feel emotionally abused to seek help from the police, particularly the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU). According to him, behaviours that cause emotional pain and distress within a marriage, such as persistent neglect or actions that make a partner unhappy, can form the basis of a complaint.

ACP Fiakpui further stated that cases where a husband’s actions, including habitual lateness or deliberate neglect, lead to emotional suffering should also be reported, adding that the police are mandated to investigate such matters under the law.