Man facing multiple sexual abuse charges against his own family

A Hamilton man has gone on trial, accused of 14 rapes against female members of his family.

The 23-year-old man has appeared at the High Court in Hamilton accused of sexually abusing six family members.

He also allegedly threatened his younger sister with "a hiding" if she reported his offending.

Those claims were made against the 23-year-old man on the first day of the trial yesterday.

The man, who has name suppression to protect the complainants' identities, faces 24 sex-related charges, including 14 counts of sexual violation by rape, the Waikato Times reported.

Police allege the offending took place at family homes in Hamilton and in two small rural Waikato towns between 1999 and 2008.

The charges represented a pattern of serious sexual offending by the accused against younger family, jurors were told by crown prosecutor Rebecca Guthrie.

In 2002, the accused apologised for his behaviour after a family meeting was held to discuss the abuse allegations.

However, he went on to offend against other family members, Ms Guthrie said.

Later during a police interview, he denied all the alleged offending but admitted to consensual sexual relationships with some of the complainants.

The accused's younger sister told the court her brother's abuse began when she was about eight or nine.

She said her brother would wait until family members were asleep before entering her bedroom and raping her.

She shared the bedroom with her younger sister and brother.

She said the accused threatened her with "a hiding" if she told anyone.

The trial is continuing.

- NZPA