Three brothers and a sister are to stand trial accused of a catalogue of child sex offences more than 30 years ago, a judge ruled on Wednesday.
Michael McCabe, Robert McCabe, Paul McCabe and Kathleen Loughran appeared before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on a total of 17 charges.
All of the alleged offences occurred in the city on dates between the end of 1975 and 1983.
Michael McCabe, 52, of Summerhill Place, Dunmurry, faces seven charges of indecent assault on a female child and three counts of inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency.
The offences he is alleged to have committed involve two girls.
Robert McCabe, 50, from Maple Villa, Sliabh Dubh View, Belfast, is charged with three counts of indecent assault on a female child.
Alongside him in the dock was Paul McCabe, 49, of Belfield Heights, Belfast. He faces two indecent assault charges.
The fourth suspect, 47-year-old Kathleen Loughran, of Clondara Parade, Belfast, is accused of two counts of gross indecency with a child.
Each of them spoke to confirm they understood the allegations against them during a preliminary enquiry hearing.
They all declined to call witnesses or give evidence at this stage in the case.
District Judge Fiona Bagnall then granted a prosecution application to have them returned for trial at Belfast Crown Court on a date to be fixed.
The accused were released on £500 bail until that hearing gets underway.
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