Ghanaian priest, 63, ties knot with 12-YO girl; sparks controversy
marrying a 12-year-old girl. Despite facing criticism, community leaders have defended the marriage, stating that outsiders fail to understand their customs and traditions. According to a report by BBC, the priest, named Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, conducted the marriage in a customary ceremony held on Saturday.
In Ghana, the legal minimum age for marriage is 18, and while the prevalence of child marriage has decreased, it still occurs. Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II, a leader within the local community, emphasized on Sunday that the girl's role as the priest's spouse is entirely rooted in tradition and custom. Also Read: ‘No polygamy, child marriage’: Himanta Sarma sets condition for Bangladeshi Muslims in Assam BBC reported that Frankwa II said that the girl started the rites to become the priest's wife six years ago, but the process did not interfere with her education.
It is to be noted that Ghanaian law acknowledges customary marriages, it explicitly prohibits child marriages under the pretext of culture or tradition. According to the NGO Girls Not Brides, 19% of girls in the country are married before the age of 18, with 5% getting married before their 15th birthday. Videos of the marriage ceremony depict locals advising the girl to prepare for her duties as a wife and to utilize the perfumes they presented to enhance her attractiveness to her husband.
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