A 63-year-old Ghanaian priest married a 12-year-old girl: the police took up the case

At the end of April in Ghana, which is in West Africa, a priest married a 12-year-old girl. Video and photos of the event appeared on the Internet and caused public outrage.

As claim BBC, the priest, Nuumo Borketei Laveh Tsuru XXXIII, is a “respected member of the community of the capital of Ghana”.

It is reported that dozens of community members attended the wedding. In a video shared on the network, the voices of the guests can be heard advising the 12-year-old bride to “be ready for marital duties.”

Under Ghanaian law, the minimum age for marriage is 18 years. Nevertheless, the leaders of local communities justify the wedding with traditions, and consider the criticism to be the result of a misunderstanding of local customs.

According to the publication, 63-year-old Nuumo as a spiritual leader “plays a significant role in the life of the community”: he makes sacrifices on behalf of the community, prays for its protection, ensures compliance with cultural customs and conducts other ceremonies.

The Pediatric Association of Ghana expressed fears that this event could become a potential reason for an increase in cases of pedophilia:

“Perceptions of acceptance of child marriage and open brazen endorsement or defense of the practice by influential community leaders can potentially promote certain deviant behaviors such as pedophilia.”

The law enforcement officers said that they had established the girl’s identity and had taken her into custody. The police have also appealed to the government’s Minister for Children and the Department of Social Welfare to provide the 12-year-old with the necessary support during the investigation.

This case of child marriage is not isolated. By data According to the global non-governmental organization Girls Not Brides, 19% of girls in Ghana are married before the age of 18.

We will remind according to forecasts UNICEF, it will take another 300 years to eradicate early marriage.

Anna Kovalenko, “UP. Life”