This archive report was first published on 20 July 2019.
On July 20, 2019, Ghana's Central Regional Coordinator of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), George Appiah-Sakyi, sparked controversy with his comments on emotional abuse in marriages.
According to Appiah-Sakyi, denying one's spouse sex amounts to emotional abuse, and married men who feel this way are advised to report their wives to the police.
Speaking during a meeting with church leaders in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Appiah-Sakyi explained that emotional abuse is a punishable offense under the Domestic Violence Act 732 of 2007.
He stated, "If your wife wears jeans to sleep thus causing you emotional abuse, it's an offense and you can report her to DOVVSU."
Appiah-Sakyi also advised women to report any actions from their men that make them unhappy, citing examples such as refusing to eat their food, coming home late, and causing emotional pain.
He noted that many people suffer in the domestic environment and are unable to maximize their potential, limiting their contribution to national development.
Appiah-Sakyi described economic abuse as depriving someone of things they are entitled to, such as seizing a spouse's certificates and preventing them from working.
He emphasized that anything that makes one jittery, unhappy, and uncomfortable in a domestic relationship constitutes abuse under the Domestic Violence Act 732 of 2007.
