It may sound outlandish, but do you know you could be jailed as much as two years if you refuse to eat your wife’s food?
Well, that is the reality that experts are trying to drum into the ears of spouses, even in nearby Ghana.
The Central Regional Coordinator of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), Superintendent George Appiah-Sakyi says spouses need to take note of that.
According to him, it is an offense for a husband to reject or refuse to eat his wife’s food, as that amounted to “emotional abuse”.
According to him, such husbands could be charged and be jailed for a maximum of two years imprisonment or to pay a fine of 500 penalty units which is equivalent to GH¢6,000 or both when found guilty.
Speaking at a sensitisation workshop for Muslim Women, Appiah-Sakyi also listed beating as an offence against wives that husbands should avoid.
Even if such wives were to abuse their husbands, he is of the opinion that the latter should rather report at the police station and not take the law into their own hands.
In fact, he adds that verbal abuse would also be viewed seriously by the law, Ghanaweb reports.
“If your husbands refuse to eat your food and make you unhappy and causes you emotional pain, you can also report them to the police. If your husband comes home late and causes you to be unhappy you can make a case at DOVVSU,” he said.
On the other hand, he added that women who refuse to give sex to their husbands should equally be reported because such was a violation was also grounded in law as amounting to emotional abuse punishable under the Domestic Violence Act 732 of 2007.
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Elsewhere, experts cite statutory definitions of domestic abuse, emphasising that it is nott just physical violence, but can also be emotional, coercive or controlling, and economic abuse.
Cami Ezenwa is a Writer, Editor, Publicist, Biographer and Journalism Trainer
He has worked with the Daily Times, Daily Independent, Financial Standard and Business Television to mention some.
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