Ghana Police: Denying Your Spouse Səx Could Lead to Jail Time

By: Manoah Kikekon 

A senior police official in Ghana has issued a stark legal warning to married couples, stating that deliberately denying a spouse sexual relations could be classified as emotional abuse and lead to criminal charges and a potential jail sentence.

The revelation was made by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dennis Fiakpui, the Oti Regional Deputy Police Commander. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, he clarified that Ghana’s Domestic Violence Act 732 of 2007 recognizes certain behaviors within marriages and intimate partnerships as forms of emotional or psychological abuse.

According to ACP Fiakpui, the willful withholding of sex in a manner that causes significant emotional distress to a partner falls under this category. If a complaint is filed, investigated, and the offense is proven in court, the offending spouse could face legal consequences.

“Denying your partner sex can amount to emotional abuse,” Fiakpui stated explicitly. He elaborated that women who refuse their husbands sex could be charged and, upon conviction, face a jail term of up to two years. He was quick to emphasize that the law is gender-neutral, meaning husbands who deny their wives sex are equally liable to be reported and investigated under the same provisions.

ACP Fiakpui expanded his explanation beyond sexual denial, noting that other patterns of behavior causing emotional pain within a marriage could also form a valid basis for a complaint to the police’s Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU).

He cited specific examples, such as a husband consistently refusing to eat his wife’s food or habitually coming home late without cause, if such actions are intended to or result in emotional distress. “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,” he said, applying the same logic to unjustifiably late homecomings.

The senior police officer used the opportunity to urge individuals who feel they are suffering emotional abuse in their marriages to seek official help. He encouraged them to report such matters to DOVVSU rather than endure in silence, reinforcing that the law provides mechanisms for redress.