Human rights advocate and private attorney Martin Kpebu has demanded psychiatric care for Naa Okromo, the young woman at the center of 63-year-old Nungua Gbornu Wulomo’s contentious marriage.
On Friday, March 30, the 12-year-old, who is currently 16 years old, was “wedded” to the Wulomo in a traditional marriage, according to the traditional authorities.
Given that the girl in question is younger than the legal marriage age of eighteen (18), human rights groups and organizations have subsequently widely criticized the ceremony.
In a Facebook statement, the Ghana Police Service verified that it had identified the girl and her mother and that they were both in police protection.
Speaking on Ghana Tonight on Tuesday, April 2, human rights attorney Martin Kpebu emphasized how crucial it is to provide the young woman with all the psychological care possible prior to initiating any criminal actions against the Wulomo.
“It doesn’t give comfort, it doesn’t, but we should find consolation in the fact that the young lady and her mother have been taken to a safe place by the police and the ministries, chieftaincy and then gender.”
This is crucial because we must look out for her interests, make sure she’s well, get her the help she needs, and since it’s likely that she has experienced trauma, we must consult a clinical psychologist, among other professionals, before we can take care of her. Then, whether or not to focus on the Wulomo’s criminal prosecution,” he said.
Lawyer Kpebu, however, insisted that the age of consent for a betrothal is unclear under the legislation protecting children, notably Section 14 of the Children’s Act 1998, Act 560.
Therefore, he demanded that the Act be urgently amended to reflect the age requirement for betrothal, just as it does for marriage.
In a statement released on Monday, April 1, the GaDangme Council made it clear that the 12-year-old girl and the Gborbu Wulomo of Nungua are engaged to one another rather than getting married.
The 63-year-old Gborbu Wulomo of Nungua, Nuumo Borketey Laweh XXXIII, received criticism after being married to 12-year-old Naa Okromo.
It is crucial to make clear that the traditional ruler has declared that the girl’s relationship with him is a betrothal rather than a marriage. For us, this distinction has changed the legal ramifications.
A section of the statement said, “We are inclined to side with the Gborbu Wulomo since the original reportage made the point that there was another ceremony that awaited the girl to purify and prepare her for procreation.”
