A former athlete is currently on trial in the High Court, facing allegations that he sexually abused his young daughter over a period of more than a year.

According to Antigua.news, the matter is being heard before Justice Ann Marie Smith and an all-female jury. The accused faces two counts of serious indecency and one count of indecent assault.

Prosecutors allege that between April 2022 and April 2023, the man committed a series of sexual offences against the child while she was living in his care. The alleged acts include inserting his finger into the child's private parts, pressing his genitals against her buttocks, and touching her buttocks on separate occasions. Prosecutors say the alleged abuse began shortly after the child turned eight years old.

The complainant took the witness stand this week and gave evidence detailing the alleged incidents. She told the court that when her father's girlfriend was absent from the home, he would call her into his bed, instruct her to remove her clothing, and carry out the alleged acts.

The child also described her reaction when, after being sent to live with her grandmother, her father later attempted to bring her back into his care. She told the court she cried and resisted, saying she feared he would repeat what he had allegedly done to her.

Under cross-examination by defence attorney Wendel Alexander, the child rejected suggestions that her grandmother or anyone else had coached her into making the allegations. She maintained that she was telling the truth.

The child's grandmother also testified, outlining the circumstances under which the complainant came to live with her. She told the court that the child had been living with the accused in early 2022 and that they had maintained a good relationship until June of that year, when he blocked her from making contact. From that point, she said, she could only reach her granddaughter through another family member.

The grandmother testified that on May 12, 2023, the accused brought the child to live with her and provided a weekly contribution of just over $100 toward her upkeep. She further told the court that on a later occasion, the accused came to collect the child, stating he wanted to spend time with her for his birthday. The child, she said, became extremely distressed, crying and refusing to go — and was eventually found hiding in a closet.

The grandmother recalled another incident that same month in which the child reluctantly accompanied her father but returned shortly afterwards, inconsolable.

During cross-examination, the grandmother firmly rejected suggestions that the allegations had been fabricated or that disagreements over the child's care had motivated the complaint. She confirmed that police had visited on two occasions after the accused reported being denied access to the child, and acknowledged she was unaware he allegedly held court documents indicating the child should have been residing with him.

The trial continues before Justice Ann Marie Smith.