Ghanaian woman permitted to file for divorce on Facebook
A US judge has given a New York-based Ghanaian woman permission to become the first person to legally file for divorce from her elusive husband via a Facebook message.
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The woman's lawyer says the ruling was made by Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Matthew Cooper.
According to the Daily News, Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku will be served with the divorce summons via a private Facebook message.
It will be repeated once a week for three consecutive weeks or until 'acknowledged' by Ellanora Baidoo's hard-to-find husband.
Attorney Andrew Spinnell says the couple married in 2009 in a civil ceremony.
He says the relationship began to unravel when the defendant reneged on his promise to a traditional Ghanaian wedding ceremony as well.
Because of this, the wedding was not consummated and the pair have never lived together.
The ruling says Blood-Dzraku has only been in touch with his wife via phone and Facebook.
Baidoo, 26, has been 'granted permission to serve the defendant with the divorce summons using a private message through Facebook,' wrote Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Matthew Cooper according to the New York Daily News.
'This transmittal shall be repeated by plaintiff's attorney to defendant once a week for three consecutive weeks or until acknowledged.'
According to Cooper, the 'last address plaintiff has for defendant is an apartment that he vacated in 2011'.
Indeed, Cooper said that Baidoo 'has spoken with defendant by telephone on occasion and he has told her that he has no fixed address and no place of employment. He has also refused to make himself available to be served with divorce papers.'
The 'post office has no forwarding address for him, there is no billing address linked to his prepaid cell phone, and the Department of Motor Vehicles has no record of him,'
The first Facebook message has been sent and Blood-Dzraku has not responded.