A Berbice man is expected to appear at the Fort Wellington Magistrate Court today to face his first charge of rape before Magistrate Alex Moore.The defendant was expected to make his appearance at a Berbice Magistrate Court Wednesday but members of the Magistracy were engaged in a training programme.

Consequently, the 38-year-old man will make his first court appearance today, in relation to the sexual violation of three minors.

The unemployed father of five is expected to face a single charge of rape, committed on the 10-year-old girl. Charges against him for the rape of the two other sisters, ages five and seven, are expected to follow.

This newspaper had reported that the three sisters were found sleeping on the seawalls by welfare officials last week after they were reportedly beaten and thrown out of the house by their step-father. The sisters also claimed that they were raped multiple times by the step-father.

On Tuesday, the thirty-five year old mother of the girls was slapped with three counts of child neglect following her appearance before Magistrate Alex Moore at the Sisters Court, East Bank Berbice. The woman has 10 other children.

She had pleaded not guilty to the separate charges which alleged that on July 19 she wilfully contributed to her children being in need of protective intervention, causing harm to them.

Consequently, the mother was ordered to pay $50,000 bail on each count, totalling $150,000. She is expected to return to court on August 16 for report.  Her bail has not been posted.