A 64-year-old woman was remanded in custody this afternoon after pleading not guilty to approaching witnesses of a sexual abuse case her husband was facing to influence their testimonies. 

The woman, from St Julians, was charged with causing the alleged victims and their relatives as well as other witnesses in the case fear that violence will be used against them. 

Her husband, an Egyptian national, is currently facing criminal proceedings charged with having sexually abused four girls between 2004 and 2009, when they were still minors. Three of them are his nieces while the fourth was the former partner of his wife's son. 

The 55-year-old man, whose identity has been withheld by order of the court, pleaded not guilty to seven charges relating to indecent acts on the children, three of whom were aged between eight and 13 at the time. 

The charges include violent indecent assault on one minor who had been placed in his care, participating in sexual activities with her, corrupting her, holding her against her will and threatening her.

He is also charged with the violent indecent assault of another minor in his care. Other charges include the defilement by lewd acts of a two-year-old boy, whose care had also been entrusted to the accused and the harassment of a woman, who was not a minor at the time.

The court did not impose a ban on the publication of the woman's name but it is being withheld to protect the identity of the alleged victims. 

Police Inspector Joseph Busuttil told Magistrate Gabriella Vella that he began investigating the matter when one of witnesses told him she had been approached by the woman, asking her to forgive her husband for what he had done. This, he said, confirmed suspicions he had when witnesses' testimonies were not corresponding with what they had told the police during investigations. 

During his investigation into possible corruption of witnesses, another witness told him she had also been approached so he proceeded with the woman's arrest. He said most of the attempts to influence witnesses was done by phone. 

The woman pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against her and her request for bail was turned down, due to the fact that there could be no guarantees that the woman would not approach other witnesses in her husband's case. 

Lawyer Joseph Mizzi appeared for the woman.