A man has been kept under arrest after being charged with sexually abusing his partner’s two underage children, aged 15 and 12.

The man, a 40-year-old from Syria, was charged with corrupting both of the girls and performing sexual acts with them. He pleaded not guilty.

The alleged abuse was to light after the 15-year-old girl told police in the presence of social workers that the man, who had a relationship with her mother, would touch her inappropriately. Appoġġ Agency raised the situation to the police.

In court, the accused’s lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri requested bail.

Interestingly, Debono referred to the recent Johnny Depp v Amber Heard defamation case, which the world has been following for around six weeks.

Debono referred to the case to raise the fact that an allegation against a person may end up not being proven.

The Depp v Heard case, which led to around 13 hours of jury deliberation, featured a number of serious allegations from each side aimed at the other – some of which were proven, others which were not.

Magistrate Lara Lanfranco refused the request for bail, and the court ordered a ban on the publication of the man’s name to protect the young girls’ identity.