By Dr. Angela Dwamena-Aboagye, the Executive Director of the Ark Foundation, has underscored concerns about the suspected coercion involved in the purported marriage between a 12-year-old and a 63-year-old Ga priest.
Emphasizing a fundamental principle, Dr. Dwamena-Aboagye stated that marriage cannot be imposed on individuals against their volition.
She navigated the intricacies of the scenario by posing a thought-provoking inquiry regarding the girl’s consent, even contemplating the hypothetical scenario of her being of legal age.
“Assuming without admitting that this girl involved is 18 years old, if she is 18, you know there is a compulsion of marriage. Can we say that this child has agreed to be married to a 63-year-old man or a deity?” she quizzed.
“That is, assuming she was 18. This is because there is a crime of compulsion of marriage. And we would have to check that,” she further noted.
Speaking on Saturday’s edition of Newsfile on Joy FM, she underscored the need to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged marriage.
Dr. Dwamena-Aboagye’s focus on the potential coercion highlights broader societal concerns about consent, particularly in traditional and cultural contexts.
“You can’t force anybody to be married against their will,” she stressed.
