63-year-old priest marries 12-year-old girl in Ghana, sparks outrage

A 63-year-old priest in Ghana, marrying a 12-year-old girl has sparked outrage on social media.

After videos and photos of the traditional marriage of the influential priest, Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, went viral on social media, it triggered backlash and criticism.

The women attending the ceremony advised the 12-year-old girl to wear attractive clothes for her husband. She was also told to be ready to be a wife and to use perfumes to boost her sexual appeal to her husband.

Critics argue that such statements mean the marriage is more than ceremonial, calling for authorities to dissolve the union and investigate priest Tsuru, who holds the title of ‘Gborbu Wulomo’, a traditional high priest.

Many Ghanaians condemned the union, attended by a dozen community leaders.

Leaders from the Nungua indigenous community, to which both the bride and the priest belong, have defended the marriage, dismissing criticism as ignorant. Some community leaders, who support marriage, said that people don’t get their customs and traditions.

Reports indicate the girl will undergo a second customary ceremony to prepare her for marital responsibilities, including childbearing. Tsuru said the girl began the rites to become the priest’s wife six years ago, but the process did not interfere with her education.

While Ghanaian law recognises customary marriages, it prohibits child marriages disguised as cultural practices. The legal minimum age for marriage in Ghana is 18.

The child marriage rates have been declining in Ghana, but the practice still persists, according to the BBC.

Around 19% of girls in Ghana are married before reaching the age of 18, with 5% married even before their 15th birthday, according to the NGO Girls Not Brides.

However, government authorities have yet to respond to this controversial marriage.