The sister and mother of a girl who has accused her father of indecent assault took the stand in Magistrates' Court yesterday. And both insisted that the father never touched his daughter in the way she claimed.

The girl alleges that he punched her, inserted his fingers into her and forced her to touch him.

But the eldest daughter, who is 18, told the court that she had a good relationship with her father. "I also used to be close to my sister, but I don't feel close to her anymore because of what has happened,'' she said.

She agreed with her sister that her father was very strict and that he imposed many household rules. "My sister always complained about being disciplined,'' she said.

"We used to get hit with a strap when we disobeyed our father, but he never punched us anywhere. I never saw him punch my sister.'' Four charges of indecent assault stem from four Saturdays between last November and January when the girl and her father were alone in their Smith's home.

The older sister said she too had spent many days alone with her father "and I was never sexually abused.

"He would normally clean and I would study for school.'' The sister also said her younger sister never complained to her during the period the alleged abuse occurred. She also said she did not notice anything wrong with her sister.

The mother told the court that the only type of affection her husband showed towards his children was a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"My husband's a very loving, kind father to his children,'' she told magistrate the Wor. Charles-Etta Simmons.

She added that if her daughter was being sexually abused by her husband she would "feel it as a mother. I would know because I went through it when I was 17 years old,'' she said.

"My mother felt that something was wrong with me (then) but I kept it to myself for 40 years.'' She added that her daughter never told her she was being sexually abused, and that she did not act differently in the house.

The mother said that she did not trust her younger daughter because "when she was 11 years old she used to work with me and she stole $20 from one of my colleagues. Ever since then, I haven't trusted her.'' Defence lawyer Mr. Tim Marshall said: "The father has maintained his innocence throughout this case.

"There have been no signs of trauma with the girl. If these events took place it would follow that there would be evidence of trauma.

"There was no change with the girl throughout the time she said these allegations took place. If someone has been violated, usually you would expect some indication that the victim feels dirty or disgusted.'' Crown counsel Mr. Diarmuid Doorly said: "The girl lived in a strict, brutal household.

"The daughters were not respected at home. Their father beat 17 and 18 year old girls with a belt. He is an obsessive individual...'' Mrs. Simmons said she would deliver her judgment next Wednesday.