Man accused of repeatedly raping his nine-year-old daughter

A man was taken into custody on Saturday afternoon after being accused of raping his nine-year-old daughter three times.

The suspicions against the 49-year-old German father of two children were triggered by a statement made by his seven-year-old daughter during school lessons.

The girl’s comment seemed to indicate that she may have had suicidal thoughts.

The teacher immediately referred the matter to a school counselor who spoke with the child.

The girl then said that she had allegedly witnessed her nine-year-old sister being sexually abused by her father.

When the older daughter was spoken to, she confirmed her sister’s allegations and described three different instances in which the alleged abuse had occurred.

The incident was reported to the youth welfare office, which in turn alerted the vice squad.

An arrest warrant was issued against the suspect.

He was arraigned on Saturday afternoon and pleaded not guilty to the repeated rape of his daughter, a vulnerable person who lived in the same household as the defendant.

The man was also accused of holding the victim against her will, performing sexual acts on the minor without her consent, raping a child under the age of 16, subjecting her to physical intimacy and causing her to fear violence.

The court, presided over by Judge Ann Marie Thake, ordered the accused to be remanded in custody.

The man’s lawyer did not request bail at the arraignment.

The court issued a ban on mentioning the names of both the accused and the victim.

AG Attorney Cynthia Tomasuolo and Inspector Wayne Buhagiar filed the charges.

The defense attorney was legal aid lawyer Ilona Schembri.

Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi, Jacob Magri and Maria Claire Ellul appear parte civile.