63-year-old priest marries 12-year-old girl in Ghana; images of marriage spark controversy

ACCRA: A massive uproar has erupted in Ghana after a 63-year-old priest married a 12-year-old in a traditional ceremony. The incident took place in Accra in Ghana. Child marriage is illegal in Ghana. Several people have raised criticism against the marriage as images of the marriage surfaced on social media.

It was a priest named Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru who sparked the controversy by marrying a minor girl. He is a very famous religious scholar in Ghana. Tsuru married the child in a big religious ceremony on Saturday. Although the marriage triggered a public outcry, Tsuru was supported by his community leaders. They are claiming that the child is not 12 but 16 years old. With international media, including the BBC, taking up the incident, people from various quarters have raised criticism against the marriage. This forced the community leaders to come up with a counterargument.

In Ghana, the minimum age to get married is 18 years. The photos show the child wearing a white dress and a turban at the marriage. The religious scholar is also seen wearing a white garment. Other scholars of the religious group informed that this was a very traditional religious practice. They also said that the marriage will not affect the child's studies.

After the incident sparked a huge controversy, the police identified and tracked down the child. At present, the child and her mother are under police protection. The Government of Ghana has yet to respond to the matter.