Man freed from allegations of historical sexual abuse

Charges against a man accused of molesting his daughter and niece decades ago have been dismissed. Photo/File.

A man has been freed from allegations of historical sexual abuse after the collapse of a third trial.

The Hawke's Bay man, who has final name suppression, was standing trial in the Napier District Court this week after pleading not guilty to 11 charges that alleged he sexually abused his daughter and niece decades ago.

There was a hung jury in his first trial in June last year and the second trial this February was aborted after a key witness fell ill for unrelated reasons.

On Wednesday morning, Judge Geoff Rea called an abrupt end to the third trial in the middle of the prosecution's evidence, and made a suppression order prohibiting publication of the reasons behind the trial's collapse.

The defendant had pleaded not guilty to rape, attempted rape, four charges of indecency with a girl aged between 12 and 16 and five charges of indecency with a girl under 12 years old.

On Wednesday, all charges against the man were dismissed and the jury sent home.

Judge Rea made an order for final name suppression and said he wouldn't be ordering a retrial.

Since Monday, the jury of seven males and five females had heard from both women who claimed to have been touched as young children between the early 1970s and early 1980s.

The court heard the man's daughter had kept quiet about being molested by her father until her brother's death.

In cross-examination, the man's defence lawyer Bill Calver put to her that her allegations were false and had been made to "get back" at her father for things that had happened in both her and her brother's lives.

She denied this and said it was a "changing point" for her.

"I don't have to get back at him I just need to speak up and tell the truth."