63-Year-Old Priest Marries 12-Year-Old Girl In Ghana, Sparks Outrage
A 63-year-old priest has sparked outrage in West Africa’s Ghana after marrying a 12-year-old girl, selected to be his wife at the age of six. The priest, Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, married the child on Saturday at a customary ceremony in Nungua, Krowor.
Footage of the elaborate event of their marriage, which was shared on social media by the local news channel Ablade, showed dozens of community members gathered to witness the wedding, triggering an outcry from several Ghanaians. At the ceremony, women conversing in the local ‘Ga’ language instructed the girl to dress teasingly for her new husband, Daily Mail said in its report.
Reacting to the video clip from the marriage ceremony, a Ghanaian wrote on Facebook, “Customary wife??? Child marriage is criminalised in Ghana and no rite that violates a girl’s rights to achieve her full potential should be celebrated.” At the same time, a second commented, “’There are so many things wrong with this country, and this is one of them!?? How is a 12-year-old becoming a wife in 2024?! Is this some silly joke?”
In response to criticism from external sources, local community leaders have expressed a lack of understanding regarding their customs and traditions. These customs included advising the young girl to prepare for her future role as a wife by enhancing her ‘sex appeal’ with perfume she had received as a gift.
Leaders of the Nungua indigenous community, of which both the girl and the priest are members, have denounced the public’s disapproval of the marriage, asserting that the criticism ‘stems from ignorance.’
Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II, a prominent community leader, was quoted by Daily Mail as saying that the girl’s marriage to the priest is “entirely based on tradition and custom.” He further explained that the girl commenced the required rituals to become the priest’s wife at the age of six, but this process did not hinder her education.
The Ghanaian government has not yet issued a response to the contentious marriage. In Ghana, the legal minimum age for marriage is 18. Despite a decreasing trend in child marriages across the country, such marriages persist in certain areas and communities.