Ghanaian pastor, 63, marries 12-year-old girl, sparks outrage

A 63-year-old pastor in Ghana has married a 12-year-old girl, sparking outrage on social media.

Influential pastor Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII has sparked backlash and criticism after her traditional marriage video and photos went viral on social media.

Women attending the ceremony advised the 12-year-old girl to dress her husband in beautiful clothes. She was also told to prepare herself for becoming a wife and to use perfume to enhance her sexual attraction to her husband.

Critics argued that such a statement meant the marriage was more than ceremonial, calling on authorities to dissolve the union and investigate Father Crane, who holds the traditional title of high priest “Gborbu Wulomo.”

Many Ghanaians condemned the union, which includes more than a dozen community leaders.

Leaders of the Nungwa indigenous community to which both the bride and the priest belong have defended the marriage and dismissed criticism as ignorant. Some pro-marriage community leaders say people don’t understand their customs and traditions.

The girl will undergo a second customary ceremony to prepare her for the responsibilities of marriage, including childbearing, the report said. Crane said the girl had begun the ritual of becoming a pastor’s wife six years ago, but the process had not affected her education.

While Ghanaian law recognizes customary marriage, child marriage under the guise of cultural practices is prohibited. The legal minimum age for marriage in Ghana is 18 years.

According to the BBC, child marriage rates in Ghana have been declining, but the practice still exists.

According to the NGO Girls Not Brides, about 19% of girls in Ghana are married before turning 18, with 5% marrying before their 15th birthday.

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