A man and his wife have pleaded not guilty to charges relating to the rape and sexual abuse of two daughters in Tongatapu.
The victims were 14 and 16 years’ old when the alleged crimes were committed against them.
The man faces 15 counts of charges of rape, sexual violations and indecent assaults.
His wife, the victims’ mother, also appeared in court after prosecutors said she assisted her husband while he was allegedly raping her daughter in their home.
The woman’s two children are from a previous marriage.
None of the parties can be named for legal reasons.
In 2017, the stepfather allegedly held the 14-year-old girl’s hands and he asked her mother to take off her daughter’s clothing, the court heard.
The man allegedly raped the victim while her mother was holding her hands.
Although her daughter was pleading with her mother telling her it was painful, the mother kept on holding and telling her it would be fine and over shortly, according to reports by Kakalu ‘O Tonga newspaper.
The court heard that in 2017 the husband allegedly exposed his genital and made obscene remarks to his 16-year-old step daughter
The abuse stopped following the couple’s arrest in 2017, after the 14-year-old was allegedly beaten by their mother, and was intervened by her sibling.
They sought help from members of the public before a complaint was lodged with Police.
The victims were later taken to the Women and Children Crisis Centre.