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Chief Inspector Joshua Tetteh, a Police Officer at the Ashaiman Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) has urged teenagers to break the silence on child marriage to attract support.

He said child marriage was an illegal act, punishable by law adding that it may result in physiological and mental abuse which affects teenagers.

He said, “child trafficking, female genital mutilation, economic abuse, are all forms of gender-based violence, classified in the laws as offences”.

Chief Inspector Tetteh said this during an engagement with the Ghana Federation of Urban Poor (GHAFUP) organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN-HABITAT to celebrate International Women’s Day 2022.

He called on all victims of gender-based violence to report the incident as it served as the grounds for engaging in prostitution, trauma, depression, and other health complications.

Chief Inspector Tetteh said teenagers who could not report child violence to the police or DOVVSU could report to their teachers, nurses and trustworthy persons and advised parents not to solve issues of rape and sexual harassment with family members but report directly to the police or DOVVSU.

He mentioned that those who abused female teenagers in any form should be arrested and punished by law.

Chief Inspector Tetteh cautioned the youth in courtships to do family background check-ups before considering marriage.