The Oti Regional Deputy Commander of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dennis Fiakpui, has cautioned couples that deliberately withholding intimacy in marriage may amount to emotional abuse under Ghana’s Domestic Violence Act, 2007 (Act 732).

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), ACP Fiakpui explained that the law recognises emotional harm as a form of domestic violence.

He stated that a spouse who intentionally denies intimacy in a manner that causes emotional distress to their partner could be liable to prosecution.

According to him, such an offence, if proven in court, may attract a custodial sentence of up to two years.

He emphasised that the law is gender-neutral and applies equally to both men and women, adding that husbands who deny their wives intimacy and inflict emotional suffering can also be reported and investigated.

ACP Fiakpui encouraged individuals who feel emotionally harmed by their partners’ conduct to seek redress through lawful means, noting that emotional abuse within domestic relationships should not be trivialised.

He further urged couples to prioritise open communication and mutual understanding, while reminding the public that repeated actions that cause emotional pain in a relationship can carry legal consequences under Ghanaian law.