Man forced kids to have sex together

File Photo

An elderly Manawatu man raped his own daughter and forced his children to have sex together, a court has been told today.

The man, who has interim name suppression, went on trial in Palmerston North District Court today to 34 charges relating to almost three decades of alleged assault and sexual abuse.

The charges include rape, child cruelty, indecent assault, assault with intent to injure, injuring with intent to injure and attempted rape, the Manawatu Standard reported.

The jury was told the man began abusing his first wife's one-year-old daughter, and their first child together, after they married in 1963.

Crown prosecutor Chris Shannon said the offending became more serious as the children grew up, including raping his daughter and forcing his children to have sex together.

The trial is set down for three weeks.

- NZPA