Laganside Magistrates Court in Belfast
A man extradited from the Netherlands to Northern Ireland to face historical allegations of raping and sexually assaulting two nieces was tracked down by tax records, a court has heard.
The 62-year-old accused, who cannot be identified, appeared at Belfast Magistrates Court following international efforts to locate and arrest him.
He is charged with a total of 13 offences against two members of his family at locations in the city over a period between August 1995 and November 2001.
They include three counts of rape, seven indecent assaults on a female, two counts of gross indecency towards a child and a further assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Initially detained in the Netherlands last October under a European warrant, the man was extradited on Thursday to stand trial in Belfast.
Defence lawyer Joe Hackett told the court his client currently only faces accusations without being convicted of any offences.
“He hasn’t been interviewed about these historical allegations,” the solicitor said.
“They were made by the two nieces, police couldn’t track him down and eventually, because he is now living in the Netherlands, Interpol located him through tax records.”
Mr Hackett acknowledged that the case is set to proceed to the Crown Court.
Police opposed bail amid concerns that the accused could fail to reappear for trial.
“It did take us quite a while to find him… we couldn’t contact him, we didn’t know where he was,” a detective said.
With no alternative accommodation available to the defendant, District Judge Steven Keown rejected suggestions that he could be allowed to return to the Netherlands.
“Not to an address outside Northern Ireland,” he stressed.
Instead, the judge ruled that the man can be released on bail if he can obtain a residence approved by police and surrenders his passport.
Adjourning the case until February 7, Mr Keown imposed a prohibition on any contact with the alleged victims.