Three defendants face conspiracy charge after allegedly threatening teenage girl to make her give false evidence in rape trial of father in Hong Kong

Two women and a man were brought to court on Friday to face a conspiracy charge after allegedly threatening a teenage girl to make her give false evidence in her father’s recent rape trial.

The women, 40 and 65, and 42-year-old man were remanded in custody after they were read the joint charge of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. They were not required to enter a plea.

Their appearance in Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Court came two days after the father was acquitted of molesting and raping his daughter between 2015 – when she was 12 years old – and 2017.

During the police investigation, the daughter, referred to as X in court to protect her identity, said her father forced himself on her at least seven times. A medical examination immediately after the most recent alleged attack found traces of his semen in the then 14-year-old’s genitals.

But when giving testimony in court, the girl told the jury she had fabricated incidents to frame her father because he always favoured her younger brother over her.