By Latrishka Thomas
A 31-year-old man will have to face a High Court judge to answer to a charge of incest.
Yesterday, the man appeared before Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh in the St John’s Magistrates’ Court and the magistrate concluded that there was enough evidence against him to have his case committed to the May assizes for trial.
The man allegedly had sex with his 16-year-old niece some time from May 2020.
The accused is the brother of the victim’s mother and was staying with her when the victim reportedly visited for two months during the Covid-19 lockdown.
While at the home, she was reportedly sleeping on a mattress in the living room with her cousins.
One day, the accused is said to have awoken her and asked her to accompany him in the kitchen.
He allegedly fondled her before committing the sex act, unprotected.
It is also believed that he had sexual intercourse with her on the living room mattress while her cousins were sleeping next to her.
On each occasion everyone else in the house was reportedly asleep.
The ordeal reportedly came to light when the complainant told her aunt about the incidents and the aunt confronted the accused.
However, he is said to have continued having sex with the girl.
As a result, her father was informed and he reported the matter to the police.
The man was arrested in August of that year and charged two days later.
He made his first appearance in court that month.
Yesterday, the prosecution tendered several pieces of evidence to be used in the High Court for trial if the man pleads not guilty to the charge.