Two teenage girls have accused their father of inappropriate behaviour, landing him in court to face defilement charges.

The man, 50, is being charged with defiling a minor, and committing non consensual sexual acts.

He is alleged to have touched the breast of his 14-year-old daughter and of trying to touch the breast of her sister, aged 17.

Those allegations surfaced while the police investigated a separate domestic violence charge that the children, along with their mother, filed against the man after he reportedly hit them at home.

Lawyers from the attorney general’s office charged the man with defilement of minors when he appeared in court on Saturday.

Prosecutors objected to a request for bail, given that the witnesses had not yet testified. Magistrate Victor Axiaq took note of that and remanded the accused in custody. He also ordered that the witnesses be presented during the next scheduled hearing.

The magistrate also upheld a request for a ban on the names of the accused and his children, to protect the minors’ identities.

Attorney general lawyers Sean Gabriel and Danika Vella led the case, with inspectors Kylie Borg and Omar Zammit prosecuting.

Defence lawyers Marion Camilleri and Franco Debono are representing the accused.