Ghana police puts 12-year-old bride and mother under protection

The Ghana police has announced in a Facebook post that the 12-year-old girl reportedly married to a 63-year-old traditional priest in Nungua in the Greater Accra region has been taken into protection together with her mother.

News of the traditional marriage between the girl and the priest Gborbu Wulomo sparked outrage on social media where it was first published on the page of a local TV station Ablade TV.Following the public expression of anger and criticism of the, local chiefs and traditional leaders within the Nungua community started giving explanations to the incident, with some using the Bible as justification saying they were following biblical examples of priests marrying virgins. Some also argued that it is their culture and the marriage does not involve sexual relations until the girl is 18 years old.

The priest was cited elsewhere saying he was marrying the girl off at that age to protect her from other men.But the public would have none of it, insisting that the perpetrators be arrested and prosecuted for infringing the laws on child marriage.

The police says it is working with the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection and the Department of Social Welfare to provide her with the necessary support while the matter is being investigated.

“The girl and her mother are currently under police protection,” it said.

The age of consent in Ghana is 16 years.

By Emmanuel K Dogbevi