Outrage as traditional Ghanaian priest, 63, marries 12-year-old girl

They can also be heard advising her to be prepared for wifely duties and to use the perfumes they gifted her to boost her sexual appeal to her husband.

The statements fuelled the outrage, as they have been perceived to mean that the marriage was not merely ceremonial.

Critics have called for the authorities to dissolve the marriage and investigate Mr Tsuru.

Leaders of the Nungua indigenous community, to which both the girl and the priest belong, have condemned the public’s opposition to the marriage, saying the criticism “comes from a point of ignorance”.

Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II, a local community leader, said on Sunday that the girl’s role as the priest’s wife is “purely tradition and custom”.

He added that the girl started the rites to become the priest’s wife six years ago, but the process did not interfere with her education.

The girl is expected to undergo a second customary ceremony to purify her for her new role as the wife of the high priest. The ceremony will also prepare her for marital responsibilities such as childbearing, local media reported.